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E58W38 

1922 

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ROBARTS 


Presented  to  the 

LIBRARY  of  the 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO 

from 

the  estate  of 

ANN  BODDINGTON 


A.W. 


FRONTISPIECE. 


Castle     Tomen,     Radnor     Forest. 

A   Glade   on   a    Ley. 

Four    Stoiv"-,    New   Radnor. 


Early  British 
Trackways,  Moats, 
Mounds,    Camps, 
and  Sites* 


A  Lecture  given  to  the  Woolhope  Naturalists'  Field  Club,  at  Hereford, 
September,  1921,  by  ALFRED  WATKINS,  Fellow  and  Progress  Medallist 
(for  1910),  of  the  Royal  Photographic  Society;  Past  President  (19 19) 
of  the  Woolhope  Club.      With  illustrations  by  the  Author,  and  much 

added  matter. 


1922: 

Hereford:  THE   WATKINS    METER    Co. 
London  :  SIMPKIN,   MARSHALL,  HAMILTON,  KENT  &  Co.,   Ltd. 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS. 


Table  of  Illustrations 

page 
4 

Foreword 

7 

Introduction 

9 

Outline  of  Conclusions 

10 

Proof 

11 

The  Ley 

12 

Antiquity  of  the  Ley 

13 

Individuality  of  a  Ley 

13 

Mounds 

14 

Earth-cuttings 

15 

Water  Sighting -points 

15 

Mark-stones 

16 

Sighting  Stones 

17 

Trees 

19 

Camps 

20 

Churches 

21 

Castles 

22 

Traders'  Roads 

22 

Hereford  Trackways 

23 

Traditional  Wells 

24 

Previous  Data 

25 

Roman  Roads 

26 

Place  Names 

..26 

Discovery  by  Place  Name 

30 

The  Ley-men 

30 

Hints  to  Ley-hunters 

31 

A  Few  Leys 

33 

Endword 

34 

Index 

35 

Acknowledgments 

41 

TABLE    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FRONTISPIECE.  Top.  Castle  Tomen,  Radnor  Forest,  1,250  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the  Cruger  Castle  of  the 
Itinerary  of  Giraldus.  Background.  A  glade  on  a  ley. 
Bottom.  The  Four  Stones,  New  Radnor,  the  easterly  pair 
lined  up  for  sighting  over. 

PLATE  I.  PRIMARY  PEAK.  Titterstone  Clee  Hill,  and  Park 
Hall,  Bitterley. 

PLATE  II.  MOUNDS.  1 ,  Tre-fedw,  Pandy.  The  Skirrid,  a  primary 
peak,   in   distance.      2,   Didley.      With   homestead  alongside. 

PLATE  III.  MOUND  and  MOAT.  1 ,  Houghton  Mound.  2,  Lemore 
Moat.  Note  how  slight  is  the  dividing  line  between  this  type 
of  mound  and  a  moat. 

PLATE  IV.  THREE-POINT  PROOFS.  1  (a  telephotograph),  Here- 
ford Cathedral  and  Pen-y-Beacon.  Here  the  camera  stood 
on  a  known  ley  in  gateway  near  top  of  Hafod  Hill,  and  the 
line  runs  through  pond  at  foot  (marked  by  sheet  of  paper), 
tower  of  Cathedral,  and  the  20  mile  distant  mountain  point 
or  bluff.  Another  ley  is  seen  crossing  the  meadow  in  a  straight 
line  just  where  "  the  lowing  herd  winds  slowly  o'er  the  lea." 

2,  Tre-fedw  Mound  (see  Plate  II.),  shown  at  top  of  sighting 
line  down  present  road  to  ancient  Monnow  ford  (alongside 
present  bridge)  at  Llanvihangel  Mill. 

PLATE  V.  SIGHTING  CUTTINGS  (all  telephotographs).  1,  Notch 
with  earthwork  at  Trewyn  Camp  above  Pandy  (Black  Moun- 
tains). 2,  Cutting  through  top  of  ridge  at  Marstow,  a  bridge 
now  spans  it,  and  the  sighting  line  down  to  a  ford  on  the  Garron 
is  indicated.     The  road  beyond  the  cutting  is  on  the  ley. 

3,  Black  Darren,  Longtown  (Black  Mountains).  This  is  taken 
from  the  Tan  House,  Longtown,  and  only  100  yards  to  right 
or  left  the  notch  begins  to  lessen  and  then  disappear. 

PLATE  VI.  CAUSEWAYS.  1,  Through  pond  near  Ten  Houses 
(now  Priory  Terrace),  Holmer.  Note  the  unmistakable 
direction,  confirmed  on  map.  2,  Through  the  River  Monnow, 
behind  Tan  House,  Longtown.  A  piece  of  fine  engineering, 
the  below-stream  edge  of  large  stones  embedded  in  grouting 
or  concrete.     This  ley  is  over  the  notch  in  Plate  V. 


PLATE  VII.  CAUSEWAYS.  1,  Over  a  ford  of  Olchon  Brook, 
Longtown.  2,  Ingestone,  Ross.  Through  the  "  fold "  and 
straight  to  the  centre  of  the  pond  against  the  house.  I  cannot 
assign  a  period  to  any  of  these. 

PLATE  VIII.  LEYS  DISPLAYED.  1,  Rhiw  (mountain  track) 
south  of  Llanthony  Abbey,  Mon.  This  is  sighted  for  Bal- 
mawr  on  the  ridge,  and  shows  that  where  possible  even  moun- 
tain side  tracks  were  kept  straight.  Taken  in  evening  light 
and  shows  (on  left)  the  triple  tracks  down  which  it  is  surmised 
the  tile  stones  for  roofing  the  Abbey  to  have  been  slid  from 
the  quarry  on  the  top.  2,  Stones  at  base  of  ancient  Wye-side 
causeway  at  Bartonsham  (formerly  Bassam)  Farm,  Hereford 
City.  The  stones  continue  in  a  "  wash-out  "  in  bed  of  river 
to  right,  and  the  ley  is  sighted  over  tumps  at  Hoggs  Mount 
and  Holmer  Lane.  Note  on  bank  to  right  the  mark-stone 
for  the  ford  (see  Plate  IX.). 

PLATE  IX.  MARK-STONES.  1,  Red  Lion,  Madley.  On  a  "  red 
line "  ley  from  the  Whitney  pottery.  Note  subsequent 
boundary  stone  alongside.  2,  Credenhill.  3,  Wye  Street, 
Hereford,  marking  the  Palace  Ford  ;  there  are  a  pair  of  these 
stones.     Bartonsham  Farm,  Hereford  (see  Plate  VIII.). 

PLATE  X.    TRANSITION  OF  MARK-STONE  TO  CROSS. 

1,  Wergin's  Stone,  Sutton.  With  flat  face  suited  for  sighting. 
A  cavity  for  payments  (or  offerings)  on  the  flat  base.  Early 
example  of  "  shaft  and  base."  2,  Pedlars  Cross  above 
Llanigon.     A  menhir  chipped  into  rude  semblance  of  a  cross. 

3,  In  churchyard,  Vowchurch,  un worked  base.  A  ley  runs 
through  it.     Inset,  Sighting  hole  in  shaft  of  Bitterley  Cross. 

4,  In  Capel-y-fin  churchyard  (Black  Mountains). 

PLATE  XL    CHURCHYARD  CROSS.   Bitterley  (see  Inset  Plate  X.). 

PLATE  XII.     TREE.     Eastwood  Oak,  Tarrington,   on  a  ley. 

PLATE  XIII.  TREES.  1,  A  "  One  Tree  HiU  "  near  Llanvihangel- 
nant-Melan.  2,  Monnington  Walks,  an  avenue  of  Scotch 
Firs  (Scots  Pines)  on  a  ley  sighted  on  Scar  Rock,  Brobury, 
seen  in  distance.     See  Map,  Plate  XIX. 


PLATE  XIV.  CAMPS.  1,  Sutton  Walls.  One  of  the  sighting  mounds, 
there  being  four,  a  pair  at  eastern  end,  a  pair  at  this  the  western 
end.     2,  Herefordshire  Beacon.     Winds  Point  to  the  left. 

PLATE  XV.  CHURCH.  Church  Lane,  Ledbury.  The  detached 
tower  of  Ledbury  Church  is  shown  on  the  ley. 

PLATE  XVI.  CASTLE.  Wigmore  Castle.  The  keep  is  on  a  sighting 
mound,  the  ley  passing  also  through  the  church,  as  is  almost 
invariable  where  castle  and  church  are  near  together. 

PLATE  XVII.  CASTLE.  Brampton  Bryan  Castle  (on  a  sighting 
mound)  with  Coxall  Knoll,  another  mound,  in  the  distance  on 
the  right. 

PLATE   XVIII.    HOUSE  IN  MOAT.     Gillow. 

PLATE  XIX.  MAP.  TWO  LEYS,  a,  Consecutive  strips  con- 
taining the  straight  ley  from  Glascwm  Hill  to  Birley  Hill  via 
four  mounds  ;  Turret  Tump,  The  Camp,  Batch  Twt,  Almeley, 
Moat,  Sarnesfield  Coppice  ;  and  Weobley  Church,  b,  Little 
Mountain  to  Holy  Well  Malvern,  through  Moccas  "  Castle  " 
Tump,  Preston-on-Wye  Church,  Byford  Ford,  Holmer  Church, 
Palmer's  Court,  Moat,  Shucknell,  Walsopthorne.  Portions  of 
two  interesting  leys  are  also  shown,  c,  Scar  Rock,  Bro- 
bury,  through  Monnington  Walks  to  Monnington  Church  (see 
Plate  XIII)  ;  and  d,  Little  Mountain  (Westbrook),  through 
Arthur's  Stone  (dolmen),  Cross  End,  Moccas  Church,  Mon- 
nington Church,  St.  Ann's  Well,  and  Priory  Church,  Malvern. 

PLATE  XX.  MAP.  Portions  :of  eight  leys  passing  through 
Capel-y-tair-ywen  (Chapel  of  the  three  yew  trees),  a  chapel 
site,  originally  a  mound,  described  in  Woolhope  Transactions, 
1898,  p.  38,  on  the  high  plateau  below  the  great  northern 
escarpment  of  the  Black  Mountains,  a,  Hay  Tump  (near 
church  ford)  to  Pen-y-Beacon,  on  to  Castle  Tump,  Rhos-goch. 

b,  Mouse  Castle  to  Tumpa,  passes  through  Maes-coch  (red  field), 
Priory    Wood,    and    the    ancient    "  red "    pottery,    Whitney. 

c,  Merbach  to  Llanelieu  Church,  d,  Mynydd-brith  Tump  to 
Talgarth  Church,  e,  Castle  Tump,  Dorstone,  to  Moat  at 
Felin-fach.  f,  Snodhill  Castle  to  Aberllynfi  Gaer  ;  beyond 
Snodhill  it  passes  to  or  through  Holy  Well,  near  Blakemere. 
G,  Michaelchurch  Escley  to  Llanigon  Mound,  h,  Black  Hill 
(Olchon)   to   Painscastle  Mound. 


FOREWORD. 

To  the  Average  Reader. 


I  judge  that  you  pick  up  this  booklet  with  much  the  same  ideas 
on  the  subject  that  I  had  a  few  months  ago.  The  antiquarians  had 
not  helped  you  or  me  very  much,  but  had  left  us  with  vague  ideas  and 
many  notes  of  interrogation. 

On  early  trackways  they  alternated  between  a  misty  appreciation 
of  hill-tracks  and  ridgeways,  and  an  implied  depreciation  of  all  track- 
makers  before  the  Romans  came.  To  learn  the  meaning  of  mounds 
they  did  not  go  beyond  the  child's  investigation  of  a  drum,  cut  it 
open  to  see  ;  and,  if  nothing  was  there,  quite  failed  to  profit  by  such 
valuable  negative  evidence.  In  perhaps  one  moat  in  five  they  found 
a  dwelling,  and  argued  finely  on  the  defensive  importance  of  a  ring 
of  water  ;  but  as  to  the  other  four,  with  no  dwelling,  and  in  unexplained 
positions,  they  closed  their  eyes. 

I  do  not  know,  dear  reader,  whether  you  will  be  as  much  astonished 
in  reading  the  new  facts  which  I  disclose,  and  the  deductions  I  feel 
obliged  to  make,  as  I  have  been  in  the  disclosure.  Frankly,  if  another 
person  told  them  to  me,  I  should  want  to  verify  before  acceptance. 
And  I  try  to  aid  you  to  verify.  But  do  note  this — that  the  important 
point  in  this  booklet  is  the  previously  undiscovered  string  of  facts, 
which  make  it  necessary  to  revise  former  conclusions.  My  deductions 
may  be  faulty.  But  the  facts  are  physical  ones,  and  anyone  can  test 
in  their  own  district  whether  moats,  mounds  and  churches  do  not 
line  up  in  straight  lines  with  a  hill  peak  at  one  end,  and  with  bits  of 
old  tracks  and  antiquarian  objects  on  the  line. 

So  please  do  not  begin  with  the  false — as  being  inapplicable- 
— word  "  theory."  I  had  no  theory  when,  out  of  what  appeared  to 
be  a  tangle,  I  got  hold  of  the  one  right  end  of  this  string  of  facts,  and 
found  to  my  amazement  that  it  unwound  in  orderly  fashion  and 
complete  logical  sequence. 

Make  your  own  deductions  when  you  have  verified,  and  I  have 
tried  to  help  you. 


B^SflMBHHftv 


Plate  II. 


MOUNDS. 

i.     Tre-Fedw,    Pandv.     Skirrid    in    Distance. 
2.     Didley. 


EAELY    BEITISH    TEACKWAYS. 

MOATS,  MOUNDS,   CAMPS  AND  SITES. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I  have  read  of  a  lad  who,  idly  probing  a  kill-side  rabbit  hole, 
saw  a  gleam  of  gold,  then  more,  and  in  short  had  found  a  royal  treasury. 
And  he  could  not  show  all  to  those  interested,  but  only  samples,  and 
he  made  mistakes  in  describing  the  dates  and  workmanship  of  the 
coins,  vessels  and  jewels.     But  the  treasure  was  there  all  the  same. 

I  knew  nothing  on  June  30th  last  of  what  I  now  communicate, 
and  had  no  theories.  A  visit  to  Blackwardine  led  me  to  note  on  the 
map  a  straight  line  starting  from  Croft  Ambury,  lying  on  parts  of 
Croft  Lane  past  the  Broad,  over  hill  points,  through  Blackwardine, 
over  Risbury  Camp,  and  through  the  high  ground  at  Stretton  Grandi- 
son,  where  I  surmise  a  Roman  station.  I  followed  up  the  clue  of 
sighting  from  hill  top,  unhampered  by  other  theories,  found  it  yielding 
astounding  results  in  all  districts,  the  straight  lines  to  my  amazement 
passing  over  and  over  again  through  the  same  class  of  objects,  which 
I  soon  found  to  be  (or  to  have  been)  practical  sighting  points. 

For  the  sake  of  clearness  I  will  give  an  outline  of  the  whole 
method  before  furnishing  proofs  and  examples. 

It  is  necessary  first  to  clear  the  mind  of  present  ideas  of  roads 
from  town  to  town,  or  with  enclosed  hedges,  also  of  any  assumption 
that  orderly  road  planning  was  introduced  by  the  Romans,  and  that 
my  paper  is  to  explain  the  Roman  roads. 

Presume  a  primitive  people,  with  few  or  no  enclosures,  wanting 
a  few  necessities  (as  salt,  flint  flakes,  and,  later  on,  metals)  only  to  be 
had  from  a  distance.  The  shortest  way  to  such  a  distant  point  was 
a  straight  line,  the  human  way  of  attaining  a  straight  line  is  by  sighting, 
and  accordingly  all  these  early  trackways  were  straight,  and  laid  out 
in  much  the  same  way  that  a  marksman  gets  the  back  and  fore 
sights  of  his  rifle   in  line  with  the  target. 


OUTLINE  OF  CONCLUSIONS. 

During  a  long  period,  the  limits  of  which  remain  to  be  discovered, 
but  apparently  from  the  Neolithic  (later  flint)  age  on  past  the  Roman 
occupation  into  a  period  of  decay,  all  trackways  were  in  straight  lines 
marked  out  by  experts  on  a  sighting  system. 

Such  sighting  lines  were  (in  earlier  examples)  from  natural  moun- 
tain peak  to  mountain  peak,  usually  not  less  than  1,000  ft.,  in  this 
district,  probably  lower  heights  in  flat  districts,  such  points  being 
terminals. 

Such  a  sighting  line  (or  ley)  would  be  useless  unless  some  further 
marking  points  on  the  lower  ground  between  were  made.  Therefore 
secondary  sighting  points  were  made,  easily  to  be  seen  by  the  ordinary 
user  standing  at  the  preceding  sighting  point,  all  being  planned  on 
one  straight  line.  These  secondary,  and  artificial,  sighting  points 
still  remain  in  many  cases,  either  as  originally  made,  or  modified  to 
other  uses,  and  a  large  number  are  marked  on  maps,  and  are  the  basis 
of  my  discovery. 

They  were  constructed  either  of  earth,  water  or  stone,  trees 
being  also  planted  on  the  line.  Sacred  wells  were  sometimes  terminals 
in  the  fine,  and  sometimes  included  as  secondary  points. 

Between  the  sighting  points  the  trackway  ran  straight,  except 
in  cases  of  physical  impossibility,  but  did  not  of  necessity  go  as  far 
as  the  primary  hill  tops. 

Earth  sighting  points  were  chiefly  on  higher  ground,  and  now 
bear  the  name  of  tump,  tumulus,  mound,  twt,  castle,  bury, 
cairn,  garn,  tomen,  low,  barrow,  knoll,  knap,  moat  and  camp. 
Another  form  of  earth  sighting  point  was  in  the  form  of  a  notch  or 
cutting  in  a  bank  or  mountain  ridge  which  had  to  be  crossed  by  the 
sighting  line. 

Water  sighting  points  seem  to  have  evolved  from  the  excavations 
made  for  the  tumps  or  moats.  Almost  all  are  on  low  ground,  to  form 
a  point  or  ring  of  reflection  from  higher  ground,  and  are  now  known 
as  moats  and  ponds. 

Stone  sighting  or  marking  points  were  natural  (not  dressed) 
blocks. 

Sighting  fines  were  (in  earliest  examples)  up  to  50  or  60  miles 
in  length,  later  on  rather  shorter,  down  to  a  few  miles. 

Sighting  points  were  used  for  commerce  and  for  assemblies  of 
the  people. 

10 


MOUND    AND    MOAT 

i.     Houghton    Mound. 
2.     Lemore  Moat. 


Plate    IV. 


HREE-POINT    PROOFS 


i.     Sighting  Pond,    Hereford  Cathedral,   Pen-y-Beacon. 

Ford  at    Llanvihangel   Mill,   Road,   Tre-Fedw   Mound.   fSee   Plate   II.) 


When  troublesome  times  came  and  stronger  defences  wanted, 
the  groups  of  two  or  three  sighting  tumps  which  came  near  together 
(especially  on  the  top  of  a  hill)  often  had  defensive  earthworks  added 
to  make  a  fortified  enclosed  camp. 

These  trackways  of  successive  ages  grew  so  thick  on  the  ground 
as  to  vie  in  number  with  present  day  roads  and  by-ways. 

All  forms  of  sighting  points  became  objects  of  interest,  super- 
stition, and  genuine  veneration,  and  as  such  were  utilized  on  the 
introduction  of  Christianity. 

Practically  all  ancient  churches  are  on  the  site  of  these  sighting 
points  (tumps  or  stones),  usually  at  a  cross  of  tracks,  and  there  is 
evidence  that  in  some  cases  the  churchyard  cross  is  on  the  exact  spot 
of  the  ancient  sighting  or  marking  stone. 

In  time,  homesteads  clustered  round  the  sighting  points, 
especially  the  ponds. 

The  moats  and  tumps  were  often  adopted  in  after  ages  as  sites 
for  the  defensive  houses  or  castles  of  wealthy  owners. 

Hundreds  of  place  names  give  support  to  these  propositions. 

PROOF. 

The  facts  I  have  discovered,  which  lead  up  to  the  conclusions, 
can  be  verified  for  the  most  part  on  an  inch  to  mile  ordnance  map 
with  aid  of  a  straight  edge. 

Taking  all  the  earthworks  mentioned,  add  to  them  all  ancient 
churches,  all  moats  and  ponds,  all  castles  (even  castle  farms),  all 
wayside  crosses,  all  cross  roads  or  junctions  which  bear  a  place  name, 
all  ancient  stones  bearing  a  name,  all  traditional  trees  (such  as  gospel 
oaks),  marked  on  maps,  and  all  legendary  wells.  Make  a  small  ring 
round  each  on  a  map.  Stick  a  steel  pin  on  the  site  of  an  undoubted 
sighting  point,  place  a  straight  edge  against  it,  and  move  it  round 
until  several  (not  less  than  four)  of  the  objects  named  and  marked 
come  exactly  in  line. 

You  will  then  find  on  that  fine  fragments  here  and  there  of 
ancient  roads  and  footpaths,  also  small  bits  of  modern  roads  con- 
forming to  it.  Extend  the  line  into  adjoining  maps,  and  you  will 
find  new  sighting  points  on  it,  and  it  will  usually  terminate  at  both 
ends  in  a  natural  hill  or  mountain  peak,  or  sometimes  (in  the  later 
examples)  in  a  legendary  well  or  other  objective. 

If  you  travel  along  the  actual  sighting  line  you  will  find  fragments 
of  the  road  showing  as  a  straight  trench  in  untilled  land,  although 

II 


these  are  few  and  far  between,  as  the  plough  obliterates  it  all.  The 
line  usually  crosses  a  river  at  a  known  ford  or  ferry.  Sighting  tumps 
not  marked  on  the  map  are  also  to  be  found. 

Two  specific  proofs  are  illustrated  in  Plate  IV.  and  explained 
in  the  Table  of  Illustrations.  Also  from  the  highest  point  of  the  earth- 
works of  Dinedor  Camp  the  spire  of  All  Saints'  Church  can  be  seen 
precisely  between  the  pinnacles  of  Hereford  Cathedral,  thus  showing 
a  sighting  tump  and  two  churches  on  one  ley.  The  Offa  Street  example 
(see  under  Churches)  is  another  three-point  proof. 

THE  LEY. 

The  sighting  line  was  called  the  ley  or  lay.  Numbers  of  farms 
and  places  on  sighting  lines  bear  this  first  name,  viz.,  the  Ley  Farms, 
Weobley,  Grafton,  Stoke  Edith,  and  many  other  places.  Wyaston 
Leys,  Monmouth,  Tumpey  Ley  and  Red  Lay,  near  Letton,  and  Redley 
in  Cusop  parish. 

There  were  cleverly  planned  high  level  mountain  tracks  which, 
although  on  an  average  sighting  line,  could  not  (being  on  the  side  of 
a  mountain  ridge)  keep  straight,  but  took  a  serpentine  course,  in 
round  the  cwms,  and  out  round  the  headlands.  But  viewed  edgeways 
they  are  a  straight  line  (see  Plate  VIII.)  as  keeping  a  uniform  level  or 
slope.  Such  are  found  high  on  the  Malvern  ridge,  the  road  (on  three 
leys)  through  Oldcastle  to  Blaen  Olchon,  the  lovely  Bicknor  Walks 
near  Symonds  Yat,  the  Precipice  Walk  near  Dolgelly. 

There  are  signs  of  parallel  trackways  quite  close  together,  whether 
one  to  take  the  place  of  an  older  one  I  do  not  know.  And  between 
Malvern  Wells  and  Hanley  Swan  are  three  symmetrical  triangular 
woods  (see  Map,  Plate  XIX.),  which  I  find  indicate  parallel  roads, 
one-sixth  mile  apart,  running  northwards,  and  with  a  collecting  road 
here  at  right  angles,  which  comes  over  the  ridge  and  through  Mainstone 
Court.     There  are  six  of  these  equidistant  parallel  roads. 

The  fact  of  the  ley  is  embedded  in  the  rural  mind.  A  country 
man  in  directing  your  path  will  invariably  bring  in  the  now  mis- 
leading, but  once  correct,  "  keep  straight  on."  It  was  once  absolutely 
necessary  to  "  keep  straight  on  "  in  the  ley,  for  if  you  did  not  you 
would  be  de-leyed  on  your  journey.  This  is  not  said  as  a  pun,  but 
as  in  some  succeeding  sentences,  to  point  out  the  place  of  the  ley  in 
the  evolution  of  our  language. 

Where  the  ley  laid  in  a  wood  became  a  glade  (see  Frontispiece). 
We  came  through  one  over  Worsell  Wood  in  a  Club  excursion  on  our 
way  to  Gladestree.     Where  the  ley  had  lain  for  a  time  often  became 

12 


a  lane.  This  last  noun  became  a  verb  used  in  the  18th  century  enclosure 
acts,  where  ground  was  "  laned  out."  Where  it  was  so  laned  out  it 
became  land.     There  is  a  Laynes  Farm  near  Huntley. 

It  is  still  a  common  phrase  to  go  out  to  see  "  the  lay  (or  lie)  of 
the  land." 

The  trackways  are  chiefly  6  feet  6  in.  to  9  feet  wide.  I  illustrate 
two  pitched  causeways  at  Longtown,  a  fine  one  through  the  Monnow 
near  the  Tan  House,  and  the  other  close  to  a  ford  over  Olchon  Brook 
(Plate  VI.).  Another  through  the  farm  yard  at  Ingestone  (Ross) 
going  to  the  centre  of  the  sighting  pond  (Plate  VII.). 

ANTIQUITY  OF  THE   LEY. 

The  word  "  ancient  "  covers  a  vast  period.  If — as  I  have  proved 
— the  tumps  or  burys  are  sighting  tumps,  excavations  also  prove  that 
they  usually  date  back  to  the  Neolithic  age,  which,  according  to  Mr. 
Ault's  recent  "  Early  Life  in  Britain,"  cannot  be  later  than  2,000  B.C., 
and  may  be  4,000  B.C.  A  prehistoric  trackway  might,  therefore, 
be  planned  and  made  more  than  three  thousand  years  before  the  Old 
Road  (which  is  a  route  rather  than  a  road)  was  devised  or  evolved — 
as  Mr.  Belloc  so  well  describes — as  a  Pilgrim's  Way  from  Winchester 
to  Canterbury. 

I  have  found  that  the  persistent  things  down  the  ages  are  not 
the  courses  of  the  roads  or  tracks,  but  their  sighting  points,  and  that 
cross  roads  with  a  place  name  are  such.  Place  names  are  also  per- 
sistent, some  of  them  going  back  to  prehistoric  times,  but  others 
evidently  media? val.  But  the  real  dating  of  the  leys  and  when  the 
system  fell  into  decay  is  for  future  investigation. 

INDIVIDUALITY   OF  A  LEY. 

Each  ley  or  track  was  as  separate  and  distinct  from  other  leys 
as  each  animal  or  tree  is  an  organism  distinct  from  other  animals  or 
trees.  As  they  crossed  each  other,  no  doubt  users  often  transferred 
from  one  to  the  other  at  the  crossing,  and  struck  out  in  an  altered 
direction,  hence  the  place  name  element  "  turn."  But  the  way  thus 
travelled  was  a  route,  not  a  road.  It  is  an  absurdity  to  speak  of  a 
sighted  road  having  branches,  or  bending.  Each  individual  track  was 
"  a  long  lane  that  has  no  turning." 

Previous  writers,  treating,  say,  of  Roman  or  of  mediaeval  roads, 
not  knowing  of  the  existence  of  the  ley,  assume  that  they  are  speaking 
of  original  primary  structures,  when  they  are  only  describing  a  route 
evolved  from  a  number  of  the  leys  I  describe,  retaining  the  sighted 
structure  in  the  case  of  Roman  roads,  but  losing  most  of  it  by  mediaeval 
times.  x- 


Many  leys  acquired  in  after  ages  individual  names  from  the  use 
they  were  put  to,  and  such  names  were  transferred  to  the  sighting  points. 

I  find  in  several  cases  a  group  of  leys  with  sighting  points  passing 
quite  close  to,  and  taking  no  notice  of,  quite  a  distinct  group  of  leys 
with  other  sighting  points,  the  two  sets  being  either  of  two  different 
periods,  or  part  of  separate  systems  made  by  different  sets  of  ley-men 
living  in  different  districts. 

A  most  surprising  fact  is  the  enormous  number  of  leys. 

MOUNDS. 

The  mounds  whose  many  names  I  have  mentioned  are  artificial. 
I  do  not  question  the  fact  that  they  were  often  used  as  burial  mounds, 
and  perhaps  even  built  with  that  end  in  view  ;  but  the  straight  leys 
on  which  I  find  practically  all  in  this  district  line  up  (in  connection 
with  other  sighting  points)  prove  their  primary  purpose  to  be  sighting 
tumps.  Arthur's  Stone,  a  dolmen,  which  was  probably  the  core  of 
a  burial  tump,  is  on  two  sighting  lines. 

I  find  various  stages  of  evolution  of  the  tump.  The  small  tump 
at  a  road  junction  for  the  local  road  construction,  examples  at  Cross 
in  Hand,  Belmont,  Hungerstone,  Shelwick  old  Turnpike,  near  Bowley 
Town  (called  the  Stocks).  With  most  of  these  the  pond  from  which 
the  earth  was  dug  adjoins.  When  much  larger  tumps  were  wanted 
the  trench  of  earth  to  make  them  was  dug  in  the  form  of  a  ring,  and 
a  moated  tump  resulted,  as  at  Eardisland  (with  water),  Pont  Hendre, 
Longtown  (dry).  The  water  in  these  excavations  proved  to  be  splendid 
sighting  points  by  reflection  from  higher  ground,  and  the  moats  with 
no  tump  but  a  flat  plateau  within  a  ring  of  water  evolved.  Many 
tumps  on  banks,  as  at  Tre-Fedw,  near  Pandy,  show  no  excavations. 
Many  tumps  were  at  the  junction  of  leys,  showing  the  technical  skill 
of  the  early  surveyors,  who  must  have  moved  a  temporary  sighting 
point  on  one  ley  until  it  fell  in  the  line  of  a  second  ley.  A  sighting 
tump  always  commanded  a  fine,  clear  view  in  at  least  two  directions, 
and  in  after  ages  was  coveted  as  a  dwelling  spot.  At  Didley  is  an 
instance  of  the  simple  homestead  against  it.  Thus  sighting  produced 
the  sites,  this  being  only  one  of  many  instances  where  the  record  of 
the  ley  is  embedded  in  the  English  tongue.  The  generic  name  of 
Merry  Hill  applied  (as  near  Hereford)  to  many  tumps  gives  a  clue 
to  their  use  as  assembly  points  for  recreation,  confirmed  by  folk 
lore  and  surviving  customs  of  dancing  in  a  circle  with  hands  linked. 
The  folk-mote  was  held  at  a  tump  with  a  dry  moat,  so  admirably 
adapted  for  seating. 
14 


Plate  VI 


1.  Through    Pond,    Ten    Houses,    Holmer. 

2.  Through    River    Monnow,    Longtown. 


EARTH  CUTTINGS. 

Where  a  mountain  ridge  stood  in  the  path  of  a  ley,  the  surveyor, 
instead  of  building  a  tump  on  the  ridge  as  a  sighting  point,  often  cut 
a  trench  at  the  right  angle  and  in  the  path  of  the  ley.  This  shows 
as  a  notch  against  the  sky  and  makes  a  most  efficient  sighting  point 
from  below.  I  have  counted  eight  such  artificial  notches  in  the 
mountain  ridge  when  on  the  road  from  Llanvihangel  Crucorney  to 
Longtown.  Each  notch  can  only  be  seen  on  the  line  of  sight,  and 
disappears  when  a  quarter  of  a  mile  right  or  left.  They  are  sometimes 
emphasised  (as  at  Trewyn  Camp)  by  an  earth  work  thrown  up  on 
one  side.     The  Wych  on  the  Malvern  ridge  is  an  instance. 

The  two  fine  gaps  near  Flansford  (Goodrich)  and  Marstow  (Plate 
V.),  both  with  bridges  over  them,  are  also  ancient  sighting  cuttings. 

The  sighting  cuttings  were  also  used  in  passing  over  banks  in 
lower  ground.  Cullis  is  one  of  the  names  for  such  an  earth  cutting, 
as  Portcullis  between  Withington  and  Preston  Wynne,  and  High  Cullis 
above  Gatley  Park,  recently  visited  by  the  Club. 

There  is  a  very  neat  example  of  such  a  cutting  at  Hungerstone, 
near  Allensmore,  where  the  cutting  in  the  bank  allows  the  ley  to  be 
sighted  on  to  a  pond  on  its  way  to  the  next  tump,  the  one  close  to  the 
church  at  Thruxton. 

The  word  hunger  (a  common  place-name  element)  indicates, 
I  think,  a  cutting  through  a  bank,  not  the  bank  itself,  as  now  surmised. 
There  are  cuttings  at  most  fords,  which  permit  the  water  to  be  seen 
from  above  and  serve  as  sighting  points.  The  cutting  near  Charing 
Cross,  which  gives  the  name  to  the  present  Hungerford  foot-bridge, 
probably  came  down  through  Inigo  Jones'  beautiful  Water  Gate. 

Mr.  Codrington  in  his  book  on  Roman  Roads  describes  the 
method  used  by  Roman  engineers  "  well  known  to  surveyors  for 
laying  out  a  straight  line  between  extreme  points  not  visible  from 
each  other,  from  two  or  more  intermediate  points  from  which  the 
extreme  points  are  visible.  By  shifting  the  intermediate  points 
alternately  all  are  brought  to  He  in  a  straight  fine."  This  method  was 
evidently  used  for  all  the  leys. 

WATER   SIGHTING  POINTS. 

I  have  suggested  how  these  might  have  developed  from  the  tump, 
and  shown  where  pond  and  tump  were  used  together.  Moats  are  a 
similar  arrangement  on  a  larger  scale.  The  trackways  go  straight 
for  the  island  part  of  the  moat.     It  is  not  the  least  amazing  part  of 

15 


this  revelation  that  I  find  practically  all  the  small  horse  or  cattle 
ponds  in  field  or  homestead  which  are  marked  on  a  6in.  ordnance  map 
have  leys  running  through  them,  and  that  examination  in  dry  seasons 
shows  signs  of  the  road  passing  through  them.  "  And  when  we  cleaned 
the  pond  out  we  found  it  cobbled  at  the  bottom  "  is  a  frequent  report 
made  by  a  farmer.  I  show  a  photograph  of  one  of  these  at  Bridge 
Sollars,  with  the  trench  of  the  road  beyond. 

A  beautifully  constructed  causeway  of  even  pitched  stones  is 
to  be  seen  at  the  foot  of  Holmer  Hill  (Plate  VI.).  It  has  well 
defined  edges,  and  lies  at  the  bottom  of  a  small  sighting  pond.  In 
the  crevices  of  its  stones  I  found  fragments  of  crude  red  pottery, 
with  a  bit  of  early  (Anglo-Saxon)  ornament,  a  bit  of  iron  slag,  and 
a  bit  of  iron.     This  ley  is  sighted  on  the  North  Hill,  Malvern. 

I  cannot  say  that  passengers  walked  through  the  bottom  of 
these  ponds  (most  of  them  have  one  shelving  edge,  with  the  opposite 
bank  steep),  but  to  this  day  an  ancient  road  (at  Harley  Court,  Hereford) 
does  go  through  the  bottom  of  a  small  pond,  being  sighted  through 
the  Cathedral. 

When  there  is  a  large  central  island  on  a  moat  I  surmise  early 
dwelling  houses — a  subject  for  spade  research.  There  evidently  came 
a  wish  for  roads  not  running  through  the  water,  and  a  pair  of  ponds 
or  lakes  with  a  causeway  between,  such  as  we  find  at  Holmer 
fish  ponds,  is  frequently  found  on  the  map,  and  is  the  sure  indication 
of  an  ancient  trackway.  Probably  the  square  moats  are  later  than 
the  circular  ones.  I  saw  in  the  grass  the  track  of  a  15-foot  road 
(probably  Roman  construction)  making  straight  for  the  centre  of 
Yarkhill  Moat. 

Many  ponds  (as  at  Belmont,  The  Burcot,  and  adjoining  Ledbury 
Churchyard)  not  known  as  moats  are  really  such,  their  islands  being 
sighting  points. 

The  causeway  to  the  centre  of  the  moat  evidently  suggested 
their  use  (many  ages  after  they  were  made)  as  a  defensive  ring  of  the 
house  of  a  rich  owner,  as  at  Brinsop,  Badesley  Clinton,  Gillow,  etc. 

I  think  that  the  word  lake,  now  used  for  large  sheets  of  water, 
was  originally  applied  to  small  reflecting  sighting  ponds  as  well.  The 
place  names  of  Sutton  Lakes,  Withington  Lakes,  Letton  Lakes,  and 
Tumpy  Lakes  are  explained  by  this  theory. 

MARK  STONES. 

These  (Plate  IX.)  were  used  to  mark  the  way.  They  were  of 
all  sizes,  from  the  Whetstone  on  Hargest  Ridge  to  a  small  stone  not 

16 


much  larger  than  a  football.  Some  were  long  stones  or  menhirs,  but 
few  remain  upright  in  this  district.  I  know  of  three  lying  fallen  on 
leys,  namely  on  the  wall  at  the  south  gate  of  Madley  Churchyard, 
near  the  inn  at  Bush  Bank  (cross  road  from  Weobley),  and  used  as 
a  bridge  over  a  ditch  near  the  Field  Farm  on  the  Litley-Carrots  path. 

I  show  photographs  of  a  fine  stone  at  Red  Lion,  Madley,  having 
a  flat  top,  and  of  the  type  which  developed  into  market  stones.  The 
market  stone  at  Grosmont  Town  Hall  (on  which  the  first  market 
basket  placed  on  market  day  paid  no  toll)  is  the  successor  of  such  a 
mark  stone.  Two  marking  stones  (with  ancient  brick  houses  built 
partly  on  them)  stand  unnoticed  in  the  short  Wye  Street,  just  over 
Wye  Bridge  at  Hereford.  They  mark  the  Palace  Ford,  and  a  ley  from 
Castle  Hill  to  Hunderton.  They  are  of  the  same  peculiar  stone  (not 
"  old  red  ")  as  at  Madley,  Col  wall,  etc. 

Wergin's  Stone  (Plate  X.)  is  a  late  type^of  mark  stone  which 
was  the  prototype  of  the  churchyard  and  wayside  crosses,  all  of  which 
I  think  are  on  the  sites  of  original  mark  stones,  as  I  find  leys  passing 
through  them. 

In  studying  such  crosses,  I  was  puzzled  to  find  several  (as  at 
Vowchurch,  Hentland,  Capel-y-fin)  with  ancient  rough  unworked 
stones  as  a  base.  I  am  now  certain  that  these  bases  are  the  original 
stones  marking  a  ley.  The  Pedlar's  Cross  near  Pen-y-lan  Farm  above 
Llanigon  (mentioned  in  Miss  Jacob's  fine  story,  "  The  Sheep  Stealers  ") 
has  been  chipped  into  a  rude  suggestion  of  a  cross  without  taking  down, 
and  a  flat  mark  stone  on  which  Archbishop  Baldwin  is  said  (by  tradition) 
to  have  preached  when  on  his  tour  with  Giraldus  in  1188,  has  had 
a  cross  inscribed  on  it.     It  stands  close  to  St.  Ishaw's  Well  at  Partricio. 

There  is  a  striking  marking  stone  on  the  Rhiw  Wen  route  in 
the  Black  Mountains. 

Other  stones  on  leys  are : — White  Stone,  Withington  (with 
original  stone  at  the  base  of  an  inverted  fragment  of  its  successor — 
a  wayside  cross)  ;  Queen  Stone,  Huntsham,  at  Credenhill  cross-roads, 
at  the  foot  of  Froom's  Hill,  on  the  road  near  Turnaston  Church, 
marking  a  ford  at  Bartonsham  Farm,  Hereford,  and  Crossways, 
Bollingham.  The  stone  that  all  the  Kings  of  England  are  crowned 
on  is  certainly  a  mark  stone. 

SIGHTING  STONES. 

Mark  stones  may  be  on  one  side  of  the  track,  as  are  the  white- 
washed stones  which  mark  a  coastguard's  cliff  walk  to-day.  But 
there  also  appear  to  have  been  sighting  points  of  stone  exactly  on  the 
ley,  so  constructed  as  to  indicate  its  direction. 

c  17 


The  Four  Stones  near  Harpton,  New  Radnor,  are  four  upright 
boulders  (see  Frontispiece)  in  an  irregular  quadrangle,  and  no  one 
has  explained  their  purpose. 

I  took  sighting  lines  over  successive  pairs  of  v  stones,  five  lines 
being  possible,  and  although  the  work  on  the  map  is  not  yet  completed, 
I  can  definitely  say  that  the  "  Four  Stones  "  are  directing  posts  which 
point  out  at  least  two  leys,  proved  by  passing  through  other  good 
points.  The  first  goes  to  the  highest  point  in  Deerfold  Forest  (The 
Camp,  940ft.)  in  one  direction,  and  in  the  other  through  The  Folly 
and  on  the  main  road  at  Llanvihangel-nant-Melan,  over  Bryn-y-Maen 
Hill,  here  appearing  to  strike  another  "  four  stones,"  and  through 
Llansaintfraed  in  Elvel  Church  to  some  peak  beyond. 

The  second  ley  starts  from  Bach  Hill  (one  of  the  highest  parts 
of  the  Radnor  Forest)  ;  through  the  Four  Stones,  dead  on  main  road 
through  Walton  village,  dead  on  main  road  past  Eccles  Green,  through 
Upperton  Farm  and  Kenchester  Church,  and  dead  on  the  present 
road  which  is  the  S.W.  boundary  of  the  Roman  station  of  Magna  ; 
then  going  over  the  Wye  through  Breinton  Church. 

Bitterley  Churchyard  Cross  has  a  circular  hole  through  its  shaft 
at  a  convenient  height  for  sighting.  Mr.  J.  C.  Mackay  kindly  had  the 
exact  direction  of  this  taken  for  me  by  sighting  compass.  It  is  28|° 
E.  of  Magnetic  N.,  and  this  on  the  map  exactly  strikes  Abdon  Burf 
(or  Barf),  the  high  point  (1,790ft.)  of  the  Brown  Clee.  Southwards 
the  line  runs  through  Stoke  Prior  and  Hope-under-Dinmore 
Churches,  is  confirmed  in  other  ways,  and  goes  over  the  Wye  at  Bel- 
mont House. 

Bitterley  Cross  is  of  14th  century  date  ;  it  must  be  the  successor 
of  a  sighting  stone  which  in  some  way  pointed  the  direction  of  the 
ley,  and  it  suggests  that  sighting  along  a  ley  had  not  quite  died  out 
by  the  14th  century. 

These  two  proved  instances  of  sighting  stones,  together  with 
the  cases  of  stone  rows  on  Dartmoor,  and  sighting  columns  on  Sutton 
Walls,  will  give  the  clue  to  the  hitherto  unknown  purpose  of  many 
important  ancient  stone  monuments. 

It  is  probable  that  the  flat  face  of  a  mark  stone,  as  in  Wergin's 
Stone  (Plate  X.),  pointed  out  a  ley.  There  is  a  Dial  Post  near  Tewkes- 
bury which,  with  the  Dial  Carreg  near  Cwm-yoy,  seems  to  denote  the 
above  purpose,  and  the  last  stone  is  an  upright  shaft  of  rectilinear 
shape  like  the  supposed  cross  at  Capel-y-fin  (Plate  X.). 

18 


^p^pll 


Plate  VIII.  LEYS  DISPLAYED. 

i.     Track   Climbing   Ridge,    Llanthony  Abbey. 

2.      Straight    Wye-side   Causeway,     Bartonsham,    Hereford. 


TREES. 

I  find  that  practically  all  the  named  historic  trees  (including 
Gospel  Oaks)  stand  on  leys.  Such  as  King's  Acre  Elm,  Eastwood 
Oak,  Great  Oak  at  Eardisley,  Oak  near  Moreton-on-Lugg  Bridge,  etc. 
Place  names  (which  in  my  previous  articles  on  Crosses  I  too  hastily 
held  to  signify  the  site  of  a  cross)  also  indicate  trees  as  marks.  Such 
are  Lyde  Cross  Tree,  Cross  of  the  Tree  at  Deerfold,  Cross  Oak,  Cross 
Ash,  Cross  Colloe  (hazel  tree  cross),  and  two  leys  cross  at  these  points. 
Actual  trees  are  shown  at  the  cross  roads  in  two  of  the  above  in  Taylor's 
fine  county  map  of  1757. 

The  Oak  in  the  horse-shoe  meadow  at  Ross  is  on  the  ley  passing 
over  Over  Ross  (the  place  name  indicates  it)  and  Wilton  Castle.  The 
steep  little  street  coming  down  to  the  river  from  the  Swan  Hotel  is 
dead  on  this  ley. 

Where  a  natural  hill  came  under  a  ley  it  was  often  made  a  sighting 
point  by  the  planting  of  a  single  tree,  hence  the  numerous  "  one  tree  " 
hills,  as  at  Backbury  and  on  the  Holmer  Golf  Links.  All  places  called 
"  The  Grove  "  seem  to  be  on  a  ley,  and  a  small  group  of  trees  (as  at 
Ladylift)  was  also  used  to  mark  a  sighting  point.  Existing  trees  are 
probably  successors  of  original  ones. 

I  see  evidence  that  at  one  time  such  trees  were  called  the  "  stock." 
The  site  of  the  wayside  cross  at  Winforton  is  known  as  the  Stocks, 
and  a  marking  tump  in  the  lane  for  Bowley  Town  (or  Court)  has  an 
ash  on  it,  and  is  called  by  the  same  name,  as  are  farms  at  Wellington, 
Almeley  Woonton,  etc.  The  highest  point  (a  hill  near  the  Three 
Elms  on  the  "  Roman  "  road  from  Kenchester  to  Lugg  Bridge)  is 
marked  on  the  map  as  Bobblestock  Hill.  I  have  known  it  as  Bubble- 
stock,  but  have  no  doubt  it  was  Baublestock,  the  tree  or  stock  (we 
still  buy  apple  stocks  in  the  market)  where  men  who  peddled  necklaces 
and  other  baubles  met  the  buyers.  To-day,  if  you  ask  in  a  shop 
whether  they  keep  such  goods,  you  will,  perhaps,  be  told  that  they 
have  a  good  stock  of  them. 

I  think  that  the  pole  (Layster's  Pole,  Yarpole,  Lyepole,  etc.) 
was  a  form  of  sighting  point,  lingering  on  to  recent  times  as  the  May 
pole. 

Every  considerable  avenue  of  trees  (as  in  parks  of  .country  seats) 
which  I  have  tested  has  a  ley  down  its  centre. 

Monnington  Walks,  a  Scotch  Fir  avenue  a  mile  long  (Plate  XIII.), 
is  sighted  through  Monnington  Church  and  the  Scar  Rock,  Brobury, 

19 


which  last  can  be  seen  central  in  the  picture.  I  found  the  ancient 
track  still  on  the  ley  at  the  Scar,  and  alongside  appeared  to  be  an 
enclosed  camp  with  defences  of  a  mild  type,  such  as  seem  to  be  alongside 
many  other  sighting  points,  as  Longtown  and  Bridge  Sollars  Churches. 
Other  avenues  on  leys  are  at  Trewyn  (two),  where  the  house,  central 
with  the  Scotch  Fir  avenue,  has  been  proved  to  be  on  a  burial  mound, 
at  Llanvihangel  Court,  where  tradition  also  asserts  the  house  (central 
again)  to  be  on  a  burial  mound  ;  at  Oakley  Park,  Ludlow  (The  Duchess 
Walk)  ;  and  at  Longworth.  A  feature  in  most  of  these  avenues  is 
that,  as  far  as  present  roads  or  tracks  go,  they  "  lead  to  nowhere," 
and  the  discovery  of  the  ley  solves  this  puzzle.  A  striking  instance 
can  be  seen  from  the  Castle  Mound  at  New  Radnor,  from  which  Harpton 
Court  and  Old  Radnor  Church  are  in  line,  and  the  eye  looks  up  the 
centre  of  an  avenue  of  trees  climbing  to  the  church.  That  beautiful 
avenue  (half  its  beauty  gone  since  two  recent  gales)  with  the  ancient 
name  Green  Crise,  which  lines  a  public  road  out  of  Hereford,  is  on 
a  ley  which  comes  down  the  County  College  Road,  over  Putson  Ford, 
and  passes  through  Aconbury  Church. 

One  sure  sign  of  a  ley  is  a  long  straight  strip  of  wood  marked 
on  the  map,  as  from  Franchise-stone  to  Litley,  and  towards  Breinton 
Church. 

The  word  "  park  "  had  a  meaning  different  to  its  present  usage, 
but  was  probably  connected  with  woodland,  and  certainly  with  leys, 
which  pass  through  each  of  the  innumerable  Park  Woods  and  Park 
Farms. 

The  Scotch  Fir  or  Pine  is  the  tree  which  seems  most  characteristic 
of  a  ley,  for  a  group  of  them  are  almost  always  (I  notice)  signs  of  a 
sighting  point,  as  at  Constable's  Firs,  Hampstead  Heath. 

At  the  present  time  it  is  impracticable  to  sight  from  point  to 
point  (especially  on  water  points)  on  account  of  intervening  trees. 
It  is  certain  that  for  many  centuries  the  sighting  points  were  used, 
and  that  trees  did  not  then  intervene.  This  throws  a  doubt  on  the 
usual  glib  statement  that  ancient  Britain  was  one  dense  forest.  Perhaps 
the  increase  of  trees  was  a  cause  of  the  decay  of  the  system. 

CAMPS. 
I  find  that  every  camp  seems  to  have  several  leys  over  it, 
and  that  these  usually  come  over  the  earthworks,  not  the  camp  centre, 
as  with  moats.  Also  that  camps  almost  always  show  signs  of  part 
of  their  earthworks  being  tumps.  At  Sutton  Walls  are  four  unmis- 
takable tumps,  in  one  of  which  an  interment  was  found,  and  in  another 

20 


(Plate  XIV.)  the  Club  at  its  visit  saw  the  bases  of  two  masonry  columns 
of  Roman  construction,  the  use  of  which  seemed  a  mystery.  I  feel 
certain  they  were  columns  built  by  Roman  surveyors  for  exact 
sighting. 

Standing  on  the  highest  part  of  Dinedor  Camp  earthworks,  the 
towers  of  Hereford  Cathedral  and  All  Saints'  Church  can  be  seen 
exactly  in  a  line  to  the  stand  point. 

The  camp  plans  in  past  Transactions  show  signs  of  tumps  in 
most  camps.  It  is  impossible  to  assume  that  leys  (sighted  between 
two  mountains)  should  in  the  scores  of  instances  exactly  fall  upon 
the  earthworks  of  camps  previously  built  on  sites  selected  solely  for 
defence.  The  leys  came  first,  and  the  present  camp  was  then  merely 
the  site  of  two  or  more  tumps.  There  came  a  period  of  organised 
raids  and  war,  and  where  a  group  of  tumps  gave  the  first  elements 
of  defensive  works,  they  were  joined  by  earthworks  into  a  complete 
enclosure  for  defence.  Here  again  sighting  settled  the  sites  of  camps. 
Hereford  Castle  Green  with  Hogg's  Mount  the  only  remaining  sighting 
tump,  others  (as  at  the  Russian  gun)  being  now  levelled,  is  an  example. 
Many  groups  of  tumps,  never  developed  into  camps  but  sufficiently 
near  to  be  so,  are  to  be  found  on  the  map. 

I  found  Caplar  Camp  to  have  so  many  leys  over  it  as  to  seem 
the  Clapham  Junction  of  ancient  trackways  in  that  district.  It  may 
be  that  in  a  few  cases  of  lofty  camps  (as  Croft  Ambury  and  Hereford- 
shire Beacon)  they  form  terminals  of  sighting  lines,  but  in  almost  all 
cases  the  leys  pass  over  them. 

CHURCHES. 

These — if  ancient — seem  to  be  invariably  on  (not  merely  along- 
side) a  ley,  and  in  many  cases  are  at  the  crossing  of  two  leys,  thus 
appropriating  the  sighting  point  to  a  new  use.  A  ley  often  passes 
through  a  tump  adjacent  to  the  church,  and  a  cross  ley  through  both 
church  and  tump.  In  other  cases  a  mark  stone  site  became  the 
churchyard  cross,  and  a  cross  ley  comes  through  both  church  and 
cross.  In  many  cases  one  of  the  leys  went  through  the  tower  only, 
and  it  is  possible  that  tower  and  steeple  were  built  to  be  used  as  sighting 
points,  although  on  the  other  hand  a  large  church  did  in  fact  block 
the  road.  I  will  make  no  surmises  on  these  interesting  points.  The 
sighting  system  may  have  been  in  decay  or  the  tracks  abandoned 
when  the  churches  were  first  built  on  the  sighting  points.  I  do  not 
think  it  probable  that  leys  were  made  to  provide  sites  for  churches. 

21 


In  almost  every  old  town  or  village  will  be  found  examples  of  a  church 
built  on  and  blocking  an  ancient  road  although  new  roads  (as  at 
Weobley)  are  often  made  on  one  or  both  sides.  I  show  examples 
of  a  number.  Broad  Street  blocked  by  All  Saints,  Offa  Street  (a 
striking  example)  with  St.  Peter's  Tower  dead  on  one  end,  and  the 
Cathedral  Tower  dead  on  the  other  end.  Other  examples  :  Ledbury, 
Wigmore,  Shrewsbury  (Fish  Street),  Kington,  and  Madley,  where 
tower,  churchyard  cross  and  village  cross  are  on  one  ley,  and  tower, 
nave,  chancel,  and  a  mark  stone  in  the  village  on  a  lengthwise  ley. 

At  Warwick  a  chapel  is  over  a  town  gateway,  and  in  Exeter 
an  ancient  lane  is  also  allowed  to  continue  as  a  tunnel  under  the  altar 
of  a  small  church,  two  curious  instances  of  the  right  of  way  being 
continued  and  the  desire  of  the  clergy  to  use  the  site  also  attained. 
Kenderchurch  is  a  striking  instance  of  a  church  perched  on  the  apex 
of  a  sighting  mound,  and  in  other  districts  I  can  think  of  Eren  Tor 
(Dartmoor),  Harrow,  Churchdown  (Gloucester),  and  the  two  St. 
Michael's  Mounts,  these  last  obviously  terminals  of  leys,  as  is  St. 
Tecla's  Chapel  out  hi  the  channel  below  Chepstow,  the  termination  of 
the  beach  ley  which  gives  its  name  to  Beachley  Village. 

In  London  St.  Paul's  blocks  the  Watling  Street  and  Ludgate 
Hill  leys,  and  St.  Clement  Danes,  St.  Mary  le  Strand,  and  St.  Martin's 
in  the  Fields  are  all  on  another  ley  with  subsidiary  roads  evolved  on 
each  side  of  the  churches. 

CASTLES. 

Every  castle  in  this  district  has  a  ley  passing  over  it,  and 
originated  in  a  sighting  tump,  upon  which  the  keep  was  afterwards 
built  when  some  lord  selected  this  as  a  desirable  site  for  a  defensive 
home.  If  a  large  tump,  there  were  usually  some  excavations  which 
were  developed  and  extended  into  real  defensive  works. 

The  word  castle  is  applied  to  many  tumps  (as  in  Moccas  Park), 
where  no  building  has  ever  existed,  and  to  farms  (as  Castle  Farm,  Mad- 
ley),  where  there  are  signs  of  a  tump,  but  merely  a  homestead  round  it. 

Where  the  word  castle  is  part  of  a  genuine  place  name,  there 
was  a  sighting  mound. 

TRADERS'   ROADS. 

Salt  was  an  early  necessity,  and  "  Doomsday  Book  "  records 
Herefordshire  Manors  owning  salt  pans  at  "  Wick,"  namely  Droitwich. 
The  salt  ley  for  Hereford  came  from  Droitwich  through  the  White 
House,  Suckley,  Whitwick  Manor,  Whitestone,  Withington  (site  of 
present   chapel),   White   House,   Tupsley,   Hogg's   Mount,   Hereford, 

22 


RANSITION    OF  MARK-STONE    TO   CROSS. 

i.     Pedlars   Cross,    Llanigon.  2.     Wergins  Stone. 

3.     Churchyard     Cross,     Vowchurch  4.     Churchyard  Cross,   Capel-y-Fin. 

(Inset,  Hole  in   Shaft,    Bitterley). 


and  on  to  its  terminal  on  Mynydd  Ferddin  Hill  through  Whitfield 
mansion.  Another  salt  ley  passes  through  Hen  wick  and  Rushwick 
(Worcester),  over  the  Storridge  pass  through  Whitman's  Wood,  and 
ultimately  gets  to  White  Castle  (Mon.),  passing  over  the  White  Rocks 
at  Garway.  Similar  leys  pass  through  such  places  as  Saltmarshe 
Castle,  Whitewell  House,  the  two  White  Crosses,  Whitcliffe,  Whiteway 
Head,  the  Wych  pass  over  the  Malverns.  It  is  plain  what  the 
"  white  "  man  carried. 

A  knowledge  of  the  ancient  pottery  in  the  Kiln  Ground  Wood 
at  Whitney  enables  me  to  show  the  meaning  of  the  numerous  red 
banks,  barns,  and  houses.  A  ley  through  this  pottery  is  sighted  on 
Newchurch  Hill  and  passes  through  Redborough,  Red  Lay  (a  cot- 
tage on  main  road  this  side  of  Letton)  ;  the  ley  is  then  dead  on  two 
miles  of  the  present  high  road  as  far  as  the  Portway,  and  passing 
through  the  Home  Farm,  Garnons  (where  the  ancient  road  exists),  it 
ultimately  reaches  the  little  Red  House,  the  old  Tannery  House  at 
The  Friars,  Hereford  ;  the  ley  goes  on  through  Woolhope  Church, 
but  the  small  local  potter  had  come  to  his  limit  and  the  reds  cease 
on  this  road.  Another  ley  from  this  pottery  runs  through  the  Red 
Gates  and  Eardisley  Park. 

What  the  "  black  "  man  carried  is  indicated  by  the  name  still 
given  to  the  smith  who  works  in  iron.  Whoever  carried  to  or  from 
the  local  forges,  whether  it  was  ore,  charcoal,  or  iron,  would  be  black. 

The  earliest  trade  (before  metals  were  worked)  must  have  been 
in  flints,  and  as  a  man  who  wanted  such  would  not  have  gone  across 
Gloucestershire  to  the  nearest  chalk  districts  to  fetch  them,  the  flint 
chippers,  or  knappers,  would  come  on  the  road  to  sell  them.  The 
sighting  tumps  called  the  Knap  are  common,  and  if  I  wanted  to  search 
for  flint  flakes,  I  should  go  to  the  base  of  the  Knaps,  their  earliest 
market.  Tin  Hill,  Tinker's  Hill,  and  Tinker's  Cross  have  a  similar 
meaning. 

HEREFORD  TRACKWAYS. 

More  than  a  score  come  through  Hereford.  There  are  sighting 
tumps  at  Hogg's  Mount  (Castle  Green),  Mouse  Castle  (also  marked 
as  Scots  Hole),  Gallows  Tump  (Belmont  Road),  Holmer  Golf  Links, 
Holmer  Lane  (top  of  old  brick  field),  and  an  important  one,  Merry  hill 
(in  Haywood  Forest),  now  marked  as  Beachwood.  There  also  have 
been  (now  demolished)  sighting  tumps  or  points  at  Castle  Hill,  Palace 
Courtyard,  Overbury  (Aylestone  Hill),  The  Knoll,  Tupsley.  And 
remains  of  one  for  the  Castle  ferry  is  on  the  line  of  earthwork  bounding 
the  Bishop's  Meadow. 

23 


A  riverside  track  sighted  over  Hogg's  Mount  and  Holmer  Lane 
Tump  is  illustrated  in  Plate  VIII. 

I  have  found  trackways  through  the  sites  of  each  of  the  ancient 
churches.  St.  John's  Street  extended  passes  exactly  through  the 
chancel  of  the  chapel  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  at 
Widemarsh.  Barrol  Street  through  the  site  of  St.  Guthlac's.  In 
evening  light  a  trackway  can  be  seen  from  the  Castle  Green  terrace, 
running  through  the  large  elm  stump  in  the  Bishop's  Meadow  to 
certain  railings  on  the  river  bank,  it  runs  by  Vaga  House,  Quay  Street, 
site  of  Blackfriars  Church,  northwards  to  Brimfield  Church,  and 
southwards  through  a  moat  this  side  of  the  rectory  at  Upper  Bulling- 
ham.  Other  straight  trackways  are  visible  through  an  orchard  behind 
Kilburn  (Aylestone  Hill),  on  this  year's  show-ground  near  the  Three 
Elms,  through  Litley  orchard,  and  descending  the  meadow  on  the 
north  slope  of  Aylestone  Hill  to  pass  by  the  Burcott  Pool,  and  on  to 
Tenbury. 

TRADITIONAL  WELLS. 

The  ley  brings  to  mind  or  discovers  many  of  these,  for  a  straight 
track  went  to  or  past  all  of  them.  There  are  Holy  Wells  at  Dinedor, 
between  Blakemere  and  Preston,  and  under  Herrock  Hill.  As  children, 
living  close  by,  we  used  to  call  the  Coldwell  at  Holmer  the  Holywell, 
and  found  our  way  by  stepping  stones  to  the  ancient  stone  built  well 
now  destroyed.  It  was  much  like  the  Chamber  well  near  the  mill 
at  Weobley.  The  Golden  Well  near  Dorstone  is  on  a  ley  running 
through  Arthur's  Stone,  the  Gold  Post  (a  mountain  cot),  and  terminating 
in  Pen-y-Beacon.  The  two  "golds  "  on  one  track  indicate  a  trader's 
way.  Leys  go  straight  to,  and  not  beyond,  many  wells  in  the  Malvern 
ridge — St.  Ann's,  Holy  Well,  Walms  (there  is  a  Walmer  Street  named 
from  a  ley  in  Hereford  and  a  surname  Walmsley),  St.  Pewtress,  and 
one  (whose  name  I  do  not  find)  near  the  Chase  Inn,  above  Colwall, 
which  village  itself  is  the  Cole's — or  magic  man's — well. 

I  have  photographed  in  Cornwall  the  pointed  "  beehive  "  stone 
structure  covering  a  Holywell,  surmounted  by  a  cross  ;  the  whole 
obviously  suited  for  a  sighting  point.  Here  and  there,  as  at  the  Flint- 
shire Holywell,  a  chapel  has  been  built  over  the  well.  Our  local 
example  is  at  Marden,  where  the  well,  in  the  west  end  of  the  church, 
central  with  the  nave  (and  the  ley),  is  connected  with  the  tradition  of 
St.  Ethelbert. 

There  is  an  ancient  well  in  Goodrich  Churchyard,  with  a  track 
way  obviously  passing  over  it,  but  not  through  the  church. 

24 


PREVIOUS  DATA. 

A  number  of  observers  have  recorded  confirmatory  facts. 

Mr.  G.  H.  Piper  ("  Woolhope  Club  Transactions,  1882,"  p.  176) 
says  :  "A  line  drawn  from  the  Skerrid-fawr  (mountain)  northwards 
"  to  Arthur's  Stone  would  pass  over  the  camp  and  the  southernmost 
"  point  of  the  Hatterill  Hill,  Old  Castle,  Longtown  Castle,  and  Urishay 
"  and  SnodhiU  Castles." 

Mr.  Thos.  Codrington  ("  Roman  Roads  in  Britain,"  1903)  says  : 
"  Between  the  extreme  points  there  are  many  straight  pieces  not 
"  quite  in  the  same  line,  generally  pointing  to  some  landmark.  There 
"  are  several  instances  where  a  barrow  or  tumulus  was  the  landmark, 
"  the  road  passing  round  it  on  nearing  it.  Silbury  affords  one  example, 
"  and  Brinklow,  on  the  Foss,  another." 

Mr.  James  G.  Wood  ("  Woolhope  Club  Transactions,  1910," 
p.  146)  says  :  "  The  origin  and  purposes  of  these  tumps  associated 
'  with  Roman  roads  will  well  repay  investigation.  I  have  traced  a 
'  line  of  such  works  across  South  Monmouthshire  and  West  Gloucester- 
'  shire  from  Caerleon  through  Caerwent  into  the  Forest.  All  of  these 
'  are  so  placed  that  each  is  in  sight  of  the  next  in  either  direction. 
'  Again,  we  find  that  such  roads  were  in  many  cases  ranged  or  laid 
'  out  in  line  with  small  camps  or  such  tumuli — being,  in  fact,  surveying 
'  stations." 

The  Rev.  S.  Baring-Gould  ("  Book  of  Dartmoor,"  1900)  says  : 
1  The  stone  row  is  almost  invariably  associated  with  cairns  and 
'  kistvaens.  They  do  not  always  run  parallel ;  they  start  from  a 
'  cairn  and  end  with  a  blocking  stone  set  across  the  line." 

The  Rev.  S.  Bentley  ("  History  of  Bosbury,"  1891)  says  : 
'  Under  the  cross  in  the  churchyard,  at  its  removal  to  its  present 
'  site  in  1796,  a  huge  shapeless  mass  of  rock  weighing  upwards  of  two 
'  tons  was  found.  This  stone  now  lies  in  the  churchyard  close  to 
'  the  tower  on  the  south  side."  Another  writer  refers  to  it  as  this 
'  large  unhewn  mass  of  Silurian  rock." 

Mr.  HiUaire  Belloc  ("The  Old  Road,"  1904),  writing  of  the 
Pilgrim's  Way,  says  :  "  Now  on  its  way  from  Winchester  to  Canter- 
'  bury  the  Old  Road  passes,  not  in  the  mere  proximity  of,  but  right 
'  up  against,  thirteen  ruined  or  existing  churches." 

Mr.  Belloc  also  says  :  "  The  sacredness  of  wells  is  commingled 
"  all  through  Christendom  with  that  of  altars  "  ;  and  giving  Continental 
instances,  also  refers  to  the  one  under  the  altar  at  Winchester. 

d  25 


ROMAN  ROADS. 

The  exact  relation  of  Roman  roads  to  the  earlier  leys  is  a  matter 
for  future  investigation,  but  our  co-member  Mr.  Jack  is  on  the  right 
lines  when  investigating  the  surface  construction  to  find  whether  a 
road  can  be  called  Roman.  It  is  not  easy  to  realise  that  many  British 
roads  were  as  ancient  to  the  Roman  invaders  as  the  Roman  remains 
are  to  us. 

My  general  impressions  from  observed  facts  are  that  the  Roman 
surveyors  used  the  sighting  system  ;  that  they  utilized  the  old  track- 
ways, imposing  greater  width  and  their  far  superior  road  surface 
and  foundations  ;  also  that  working  during  the  degeneration  of  the 
ley  system,  they  did  not  appreciate  the  long  distance  primary  points, 
but  working  on  short  distance  hills  and  points  their  roads  are  not  so 
consistent  and  individual.  I  find  evidence  that  they  established  their 
stations  on  the  original  leys,  and  that  these  were  then  so  numerous 
as  to  form  the  boundaries  of  stations  or  towns,  and  thus  decide  their 
polygonal  shape.  It  is  also  probable  that  a  great  many  Roman  roads 
of  which  portions  remain  were  never  completed,  although  the  sighting 
points  of  the  original  ley  continue  on  the  line. 

The  road  from  Aymestry  to  Mortimer's  Cross  comes  down  to  the 
Wye  in  the  cutting  at  Bridge  Sollars. 

The  "  Roman  "  straight  road  from  Leintwardine  through  Pay  toe 
and  Wigmore  Moor  (the  subject  of  recent  digging)  continues  as  a  ley 
through  Lucton  and  Kingsland  Churches. 

I  consider  the  existing  maps  of  Roman  roads  to  have  little  value 
as  being  based  on  the  assumption  that  there  were  no  straight  sighted 
roads  before  the  Romans  came,  and  that  (quite  illogically)  such  a 
road  could  go  round  corners,  and  had  to  follow  the  tracks  over  which 
some  old  writer  had  travelled.  I  find  the  so-called  straight  Roman 
roads,  as  from  Kenchester  to  Lugg  Bridge,  to  be  really  on  several 
slightly  diverging  leys,  three  in  this  case. 

PLACE  NAMES. 

The  ley  and  its  sighting  points  were  earlier  than  homesteads, 
hamlets,  or  towns,  and  as  the  latter  evolved  on  the  tracks,  place  names 
naturally  bear  traces  of  their  origin. 

It  is  no  reflection  on  philologists  that,  not  knowing  of  the  ley, 
they  have  made  misinterpretations,  and  have  a  huge  mass  of  corrections 
to  make.  In  particular  they  will  find  a  past  neglect  in  translating 
place  names  in  the  fight  of  traders  coming  along  the  road  and  meeting 

26 


Plate  XI. 


CHURCHYARD   CROSS. 
Bitterley. 


Plate  XII. 


TREE. 
Eastwood  Oak,  Tarrington. 


the  buyers  at  settled  points.  The  man  who  brought  the  long-coveted 
gold  ornaments  might  only  come  once  a  year,  but  to  the  women  of 
the  community  the  Gold  Hill,  Gold  Post,  or  Golden  Cross  (roads), 
where  they  met  him,  or  the  Golden  Valley,  along  which  he  came,  would 
be  likely  to  take  their  names  from  his  wares.  There  are  two  of  each 
of  the  above  Gold  place  names  in  the  county. 

The  notes  which  follow  must  be  taken  rather  as  suggestions 
than  as  final  conclusions. 

The  common  suffix — ley — indicates  a  ley  of  the  character  denoted 
by  the  first  element  in  the  name,  and  "  meadow  "  is  not,  I  think, 
the  right  interpretation.  The  numerous  Leys  Hills  are  not  likely 
to  be  so  called  from  meadows. 

The  suffix — ton  originated  by  a  mark  stone  on  the  ley  becoming 
the  nucleus  of  a  homestead,  and  perhaps  later  a  town. 

The  suffix — bury  clearly  indicates  a  mound  which  was  a  sighting 
tump.  It  is  a  strange  development  that  these  tumps  were  coveted 
both  as  places  to  be  buried  in  and  to  live  on.  Mrs.  Gillespie  (who 
lived  at  Trewyn,  Pandy,  for  17  years)  writes  me  :  "I  suppose  you 
know  that  Trewyn  was  built  on  a  burial  mound,"  and  goes  on  to 
describe  the  discovery  of  a  cist  with  human  remains  which  they  dug 
up  under  one  of  the  rooms.  I  had  told  her  how  Trewyn  was  on  two 
leys  (therefore  on  a  sighting  point),  one  being  down  the  avenue  of 
ancient  pine  trees  straight  for  Alt-y-Ynis. 

Barrow  (another  mound  name)  occurs  at  Cradley,  Pembridge, 
and  Wheelbarrow  Castle,  Leominster  ;  Canon  Bannister  shows  that 
Coldborough  was  formerly  Colbarwe,  and  he  also  associates  borough 
and  bury  as  from  the  same  root.  A  variation  is  berrow  as  in  Brooms- 
berrow.  Just  as  the  sighting  stone — ton  became  the  site  of  our  modern 
town,  so  the  mound  evolved  into  the  borough. 

Low — the  universal  name  for  the  mound  in  Derbyshire — is  not 
bo  common  here.  But  Wormlow  Tump,  Ludlow,  Warslow,  and 
Bradlow  indicate  sighting  points. 

Bury  is  used  alone  as  the  name  for  a  tump,  as  in  the  many  Bury 
Farms,  or  as  at  Ivington  Bury.  A  farmer  still  calls  the  earth  covered 
tump  in  which  he  winters  his  roots  a  bury.  Towns  like  Ledbury  first 
grew  round  a  sighting  mound. 

"  Broom  "  occurs  with  great  persistence  on  leys,  with  its  varia- 
tions brom  and  bram.  Bromley  and  Bramley,  Bromton  and  Bramton, 
Bromfield  (where  is  the  Old  Field  with  a  number  of  tumuli),  Brooms- 
green,  Broomsberrow,  and  the  many  Broomy  Hills  are  examples. 
It  is  not  confined  to  one  form  of  sighting  point,  and  I  surmise  (from 

27 


a  faint  line  of  evidence)  that  a  component  part  of  our  modern  broom 
was  an  essential  working  implement  of  the  skilled  ley  man,  and  was 
continued  as  the  staff  of  the  mediaeval  pilgrim.  Whether  the  plant 
broom  was  the  original  root  word  or  a  derivative  I  cannot  say. 

Lady  Lift  (a  hill-point  mound)  is  on  a  ley  with  Lady  Harbour 
Farm,  and  the  prefix  Lady  is  applied  to  court,  grove,  ridge,  oak,  and 
meadow  in  the  county.  The  Lady  Harbour  of  Hereford  Cathedral  is 
on  one  of  the  leys  which  form  Church  Street,  and  had  the  name  before 
any  church  was  built  there.  It  might  possibly  indicate  a  woman's 
shelter  on  the  road. 

The  suffix — tree,  probably  originated  in  a  single  tree  planted 
as  a  sighting  point,  either  as  at  "  Cross  of  the  Tree  "  in  Deerfold  Forest, 
or  to  mark  the  apex  of  a  natural  hill  as  illustrated  in  Plate  XII. 
Webtree  is  on  such  a  hill  with  two  leys  passing  through  it.  Its  name 
signifies  that  it  is  the  spot  where  the  webbe  or  weaver  met  his  buyers. 
He  travelled  along  the  webbe-ley,  and  there  are  three  Weobleys 
(formerly  Webbeley)  in  the  county,  at  Weobley  Ash,  and  Weobley 
Cross,  also  the  better  known  townlet.  He  also  met  others  at  a  mark 
stone  now  known  as  Webton.  The  surnames  Webb,  Webber,  and 
Webster  still  survive. 

In  the  same  way  another  first  word  element  gave  the  place 
names  (and  surnames  from  them)  of  Bosley  (Cattle-ley),  Boston, 
Bosbury,  Boswell,  Bostock,  and  Boscastle.  Again,  Stanley,  Stanwell, 
Stanton,  Stanbury,  and  Stanbatch.  And  I  have  shown  how  the 
white  (salt)  man  gave  the  first  element  to  innumerable  place  names 
on  his  route.  There  is  a  Silver  Tump  and  a  Brass  Knoll  in  the  Olchon 
Valley,  both  proved  sighting  tumps. 

The  names  Bowley,  Bowling  Green  (farm,  also  a  quarry  near 
Ewias  Harold),  Bolitree,  Bolstone,  Bollingham,  Bal  Mawr,  Balls 
Cross,  Ballgate,  Bellgate,  Bellimore,  and  Belmont,  all  seem  akin  to 
the  rounded  outline  of  an  inverted  bowl,  or  to  boils,  bowels,  and 
belly  of  animal  life,  and  indicate  the  rounded  tump. 

The  house  at  Bolitree  is  built  on  a  tump  with  signs  of  a  moat, 
and  as  I  found  a  ley  through  Bollingham  (house  and  chapel)  I  went 
there  to  find  the  bol,  and  there  it  was,  a  fine  tump  with  an  old  summer- 
house  on  its  summit. 

Gate  in  a  place  name  (as  in  Hill  Gate,  Three  Gates,  Ballgate, 
England's  Gate,  Burley  Gate,  etc.)  did  not  mean,  as  now,  something 
which  stopped  a  way  (that  was  called  a  lid-yatt),  but  the  way  itself. 
It  is  much  the  same  as  the  word  pass.  The  same  element  (modified) 
is  in  such  names  as  Gatley,  Gatsford,  Yatton,  Symonds  Yat,  Woodyatt's 
Cross. 
28 


Lee  Line  and  Timberline  Wood  are  place  names  clearly  describing 
leys.  There  is  a  Linton  and  a  Linley  at  Stanford  Bishop — the  mark 
stone  and  the  ley.  I  think  that  Lyonshall,  Lynhales,  Lion  Farm, 
and  Hobby  Lyons  are  variations. 

Such  names  as  Winslow,  Preston  Wynne,  Winsley,  and  Winyard 
(Radnor  Forest)  indicate  the  road  by  which  wine  was  brought.  Totnor, 
Totteridge,  Tothill,  and  Twt  indicate  (as  Mr.  J.  G.  Wood  has  pointed 
out)  tumps,  and  they  are  all  sighting  tumps  on  leys.  Mr.  Wood  (who 
has  come  very  near  discovering  the  ley)  also — in  Woolhope  Transac- 
tions for  1919 — connects  Titterstone,  Clee  Hill  (Plate  I.)  with  the 
word  Tot  or  Toot.  Tooting  and  Tottenham  are  London  forms  of  the 
word.  Rosemary  Topping  (English  Bicknor)  is  a  much  prettier  name 
for  a  sighting  tump. 

Bur  or  Burl  seems  to  be  descriptive  of  some  form  of  sighting- 
point.  Leys  pass  through  Burley,  Burlton,  Burton  (many  of  this 
name),  Burford,  and  The  Burcot  ;  and  there  is  a  Burl  Hill  in 
Radnorshire. 

Although  a  ley  ran  from  peak  to  peak  there  must  have  been 
an  earlier  termination  to  its  useful  part,  or  a  still  more  restricted  part 
used  by  traders.  Hence — in  London — Finsbury  ;  Capel-y-fin  in 
the  Black  Mountains  ;  and  Fine  Street,  near  Letton,  have  probably 
the  same  meaning,  which,  however,  seems  to  be  locally  more  often 
expressed  by  the  word  end,  as  in  New  End  (Canon  Pyon),  Red  Wych 
End  (Cowarne),  Nupend,  etc. 

As  regards  the  place  name  element  "  broad  "  (also  brad  and 
bred),  a  ley  passes  through  Broad  Green  (Orleton),  The  Broad,  north 
of  Leominster,  Broadward,  south  of  Leominster  (dead  on  the  main 
road  at  each  of  these  two),  and  on  to  Broadlands  at  Aylestone 
Hill,  Hereford.  It  was  the  road,  not  the  place,  which  was  broad, 
constructed  for  wheel  traffic,  for  which  the  previous  pack-horse  tracks 
were  too  narrow.  Mr.  Allan  Bright,  of  Barton  Court,  Colwall,  wrote 
me,  pointing  out  that  a  ley  from  the  Wych  through  his  house  to  Ledbury 
Church,  also  ran  through  a  meadow  of  his  called  Broadley  Meadow. 
Such  names  as  Bradley,  Bradlow,  Bradford,  Broadmoor,  Broad  Oak, 
and  Bredwardine  are  thus  explained. 

Probably  most  instances  of  the  word  elements,  little  and  long, 
apply  to  the  roads  which  pass  through  the  places.  Hereford  is  (no 
doubt  correctly)  said  to  mean  "  army  road."  Little  Hereford  is  not 
a  small  edition  of  the  town,  but  of  the  road.  Litley  is  the  small  ley, 
Longley  is  the  long  ley,  and  so  with  the  stone,  grove,  land,  and  ford 

29 


(there  have  been  two  Longfords).  Long  in  old  spelling  was  often 
lange  ;  and  little,  lutel  or  luttel — these  from  Canon  Bannister's  list. 
Hence  come  the  (places  and  surnames)  Langstone,  Langford,  Lang- 
land,  Langton,  Lutley,  Luton.  The  two  Leinthalls — Earles  and 
Starkes — are  seldom  called  by  these  second  names  locally,  but  are 
Little  Leinthall  and  Long  Leinthall  respectively,  the  element  leint 
(occurring  also  in  Leintwardine)  being  I  surmise  derived  from  ley. 
Little  Leynthale,  to  quote  an  old  spelling,  would  be  the  meadow 
traversed  by  the  short  ley. 

DISCOVERY  BY  PLACE  NAME. 

I  have  experienced  this  in  several  cases,  and  will  detail  one. 
A  local  antiquarian  (Mr.  W.  Pilley)  always  maintained  that  there 
had  been  an  ancient  spring — the  Bewell  spring — close  to  Bewell  House 
and  the  Hereford  Brewery  within  the  City.  When  I  lived  there  with 
my  father  we  knew  nothing  of  it.  But  about  a  year  ago  the  present 
owners  in  sinking  a  new  deep  well  and  building  a  new  engine  house, 
uncovered  the  following  inscription  cut  in  stone  in  the  base  of  the 
brewery  wall,  but  covered  by  a  rockery  in  my  time  : — 

WELL,    71    FEET,    1724. 

I  had  always  felt  that  the  derivation  given  for  the  place  name 
Bewell  Street  as  Behind-the-wall  Street  was  an  error. 

There  is  a  hill  on  the  Canon  Pyon  road  called  Bewley  or  Bewdley 
Pitch.  Solely  on  account  of  my  surmise  that  the  Bew-ley  might 
lead  to  the  Bew-well,  I  tried  a  line  on  the  map  and  found  a  ley  exactly 
falling  on  this  "  pitch  "  (or  steep  road)  passing  from  the  north  through 
Bishops  Moat  (west  of  Bishops  Castle),  Meer  Oak,  Bucknell  Church, 
Street  Court,  Stretford  Churchyard,  and  Birley  Churchyard,  and 
exactly  over  the  site  of  the  well.  Southwards  over  Palace  Ford, 
Dinedor  Camp,  Caradock,  Picts  Cross,  Horn  Green  Cross,  Walford 
Church,  Leys  Hill,  Speech  House  ;  there  being  numerous  confirma- 
tions in  fragments  of  road. 

THE   LEY-MEN. 

The  fact  of  the  ley,  with  its  highly  skilled  technical  methods, 
being  established,  it  must  also  be  a  fact  that  such  work  required  skilled 
men,  carefully  trained.  Men  of  knowledge  they  would  be,  and  therefore 
men  of  power  over  the  common  people.  And  now  comes  surmise. 
Did  they  make  their  craft  a  mystery  to  others  as  ages  rolled  by. 
Were  they  a  learned  and  priestly  class,  not  admitted  until  completing 

30 


Plate   XIII.  TREES. 

i.     A  One-tree   Hill,    Llanvihangel-nant-Melan. 

2.     Scotch-Fir    (or   Scots    Pine)   Avenue,    Monnington    (See    Plate   XVII. V 


Jftutk'}.' 


'late    XIV. 


CAMPS. 


i-     One    ol    the    Four    Mounds,    Sutton    Wall; 
2.      Herefordshire   Beacon. 


a  long  training — as  Caesar  describes  the  Druids.  Or  did  they — as 
Diodorus  and  Strabo  says  of  Druids — become  also  bards  and  sooth- 
sayers. Did  they,  as  the  ley  decayed,  degenerate  into  the  witches 
of  the  middle  ages.  Folk-lore  provides  the  witches  with  the  power 
of  riding  through  the  air  on  a  broomstick,  the  power  of  overlooking, 
that  of  the  evil  eye.  They  (in  imagination)  flew  over  the  Broomy 
Hills  and  the  Brom-leys.  It  may  be  that  the  ancient  sighting  methods 
were  condemned  as  sorcery  by  the  early  Christian  missionaries. 

Were  they  the  laity  or  lay-men  of  Beowulf  ? 

In  later  days  our  first  English  poet  was  one  Layamon,  and  in 
his  time  were  men  called  Ley-cester,  Leye,  and  Ley-land. 

In  the  Oxford  Dictionary  is  given  the  obsolete  word  cole  as 
meaning  in  the  16th  century  a  false  magician,  a  juggler,  and  cole- 
prophet  (or  cold-prophet)  with  a  similar  meaning,  and  there  is  a  cole- 
staff  or  cowl-staff  also  mentioned,  which,  although  then  meaning  a 
carrying  stick,  was — I  surmise — originally  the  working  sighting  staff 
of  the  cole -man,  who  was  the  magician  of  the  ley.  The  word  still 
survives  in  colporter,  a  walking  seller  of  books,  who  carries  his  wares 
slung  over  his  shoulder  on  a  stick. 

We  have  in  our  district  Coldman's  Hill,  Coldstone  Common, 
Coles  Tump  (Orcop),  and  Coles  Mountain  (Presteign).  In  other  parts 
of  England  are  Coley,  Colbury,  Colebatch,  Colestock,  Coleshill, 
Coleford,  Coleham,  Colchester,  and  Coleridge,  which  last  has  an 
alternate  name  Coldridge,  confirming  other  instances  of  the  intrusion 
of  the  d.  I  surmise  Cold  Harbour  (Kentchurch)  to  have  been  Cole 
Harbour. 

Colmanswell  in  Ireland  possesses  to-day  a  "  sacred  "  well,  and 
this  name,  together  with  our  own  ancient  Colewelle  in  Herefordshire, 
now  altered  to  Colwall,  is  probably  nearer  the  original  root  meaning 
than  is  the  case  of  the  three  Coldwells  at  Holmer,  Kingston,  and 
English  Bicknor. 

A  Bishop's  name  Colman  is  mentioned  in  the  Anglo-Saxon 
Chronicle,  and  Cole  is  also  a  common  surname  to-day. 

There  are  other  names  for  a  ley-man  indicated  in  the  two  Derby- 
shire place  names,  Totmans  Low  and  Laidmans  Low,  the  Low  being 
a  sighting  mound. 

HINTS  TO  LEY  HUNTERS. 

Keep  to  the  discovery  of  lines  through  undoubted  sighting 
points,  as  artificial  mounds  (including  castle  keeps),  moats  and  islands 

3i 


in  ponds  or  lakes.  In  practice  churches  can  be  treated  as  sighting 
points,  but  in  some  cases  a  ley  passes  through  a  tump  or  well  close 
to  the  church.  Avoid  for  a  time  the  temptation  of  taking  every  bit 
of  narrow  straight  road  and  extending  it  into  a  ley.  Scrap  every 
ley  you  think  you  have  discovered  if  it  does  not  pass  through  at  least 
four  undoubted  sighting  points  exclusive  of  roads. 

You  must  use  Government  ordnance  maps.  One  mile  to  the 
inch  is  the  working  scale.  Other  maps  of  two  or  four  miles  to  the 
inch  are  quite  useless,  save  for  checking  long  leys. 

The  (B)  "  Popular  edition,  mounted  and  folded  in  covers  for 
the  pocket,"  is  the  most  convenient  for  field  work  and  is  the  cheapest, 
as  it  contains  over  double  the  area  of  the  older  (C)  18  x  12  edition  ; 
but  I  have  found  the  latter  (uncoloured,  in  flat  sheets)  necessary  for 
transferring  leys  from  one  map  to  the  next  on  drawing  boards  in 
the  office. 

Maps  cut  in  sections  are  useless  for  this  exact  work. 

About  four  drawing  boards,  a  light  24-inch  straight  edge,  a  T 
square  for  pinning  down  the  maps  accurately  to  line  with  the  boards,  a 
moveable  head  T  square  to  adjust  to  the  angle  of  the  ley,  so  as  to  transfer 
to  the  next  map,  and  a  box  of  the  glass  headed  pins  used  by  photo- 
graphers (in  addition  to  the  usual  drawing  pins)  are  the  minimum 
essentials  for  real  work.  A  sighting  compass  for  field  work  used  in 
conjunction  with  a  special  divided  quadrant  on  the  moveable  head 
of  square  are  aids  I  have  found  valuable. 

Remember  that  the  entire  course  of  a  ley  can  be  found  from 
two  undoubted  sighting  points  on  it  if  marked  on  the  map.  Therefore 
stick  a  glass  headed  pin  in  these  two  points,  apply  the  straight  edge, 
and  rule  the  line,  pencil  it  at  first,  ink  afterwards. 

When  you  get  a  "  good  ley  "  on  the  map,  go  over  it  in  the  field, 
and  fragments  and  traces  of  the  trackways  will  be  found,  always 
in  straight  lines,  once  seen  recognised   with  greater  ease  in  future. 

Where  close  detail  is  required,  as  in  villages  and  towns,  the 
1"  scale  is  far  too  small,  and  the  6"  scale  is  necessary.  The  angle  of 
the  ley  is  transferred  to  it  from  the  1"  map  with  the  aid  of  the  moveable 
head  square.  Maps  must  be  pinned  square  on  the  board  by  the  T 
square  passing  through  identical  degree  marks  on  the  edges,  latitude 
for  leys  running  E.  and  W.,  but  longitude  for  leys  N.  and  S.  The 
edges  of  the  maps  are  not  truly  in  fine  with  the  degree  lines,  and  must 
not  be  the  guide. 

Ley  hunting  gives  a  new  zest  to  field  rambles,  and  the  knowledge 
of  the  straight  ley  provides  new  eyes  to  an  eager  observer. 

32 


I  have  a  mental  vision  of  a  Scout  Master  of  the  future,  out  ley 
hunting  with  the  elder  boys  of  his  troup,  instructing  them  as  they 
look  out  from  a  high  sighting  point.  "  Now,  Harold  !  if  you  only 
take  that  pole  out  of  your  eye,  you  will  see  better  to  pick  out  that 
distant  moat  that  Cyril  has  in  his  eye.  He's  got  it,  right  enough, 
just  a  speck  of  light  from  the  ring  of  water  round  the  island.  When 
I  told  you  to  use  your  pole  as  a  sighting  staff,  I  didn't  tell  you  to 
see  nothing  else.  Now  we  have  found  the  ley,  I  think  we  shall  see 
a  bit  of  the  old  track  in  that  far  grassy  field  this  side  the  moat ;  it's 
narrow  and  straight,  and  there  are  many  who  never  find  it  because 
they  look  for  a  broad  way  like  our  present  wheel  tracks." 

A   FEW   LEYS. 

(Additional  to  others  detailed  in  text  and  maps). 

Colva  Hill  to  Birdlip  Hill,  via  Parton  Cross,  Breinton  Camp 
and  Ford,  Red  Hill,  Holme  Lacy  House,  Caplar  Camp,  Yatton  Church, 
Moat  and  Camp  beyond  Newent,  and  dead  on  "  Ermin  Street  "  for 
five  miles. 

Gwaun  Ceste  Hill  to  Brimpsfield  Castle,  via  Michaelchurch, 
Eaton  Camp,  Perry  Hill,  Dinedor  Cross,  Tump,  Brockhampton  Old 
Church,  Cross  in  Hand,  Upton  Court,  The  Conigree,  Rudford  Church, 
Gloucester  Cathedral,  Castle  Hill,  Witcombe  Park,  and  Blacklains. 

Gwaun  Ceste  Hill  to  West  Tump,  via  Colva  Church,  Brilley 
Green,  The  Scar  Rock  (Brobury),  down  Monnington  Walks  (central), 
Monnington  Church,  The  Chantry,  Perrystone,  Mullhampton,  Anthony's 
Cross,  Tibberton  Court,  Llanthony  (Glos.)  Abbey,  and  dead  on  a 
Gloucester  street. 

Little  Mountain  (Westbrook)  to  St.  Ann's  Well  and  Priory 
Church,  Malvern,  via  Arthur's  Stone,  Cross  End,  Moccas  Church, 
Monnington  Church,  Credenhill  (old)  Court,  Pipe  and  Lyde  Church, 
and  Beacon  Hill. 

Pen-y-Beacon  to  North  Hill,  Malvern,  via  Sugwas  Park,  Ten 
Houses  Pond  (Plate  VI.),  Burcot  Pool,  White  Stone  Chapel,  Shucknell 
Hill,  Stretton  Grandison  Church,  Moat  at  Birchend,  and  Mathon 
Church. 

Croft  Ambury  to  Y-Fan-Drongarth  (2,410  peak  in  Brecon  Beacon 
group),  via  Hill  Barn,  Easthampton,  Milton  House,  Court  of  Noke, 
Elsdon,  Bollingham  Chapel  Tump,  Clyro  Church,  Llowes  Church, 
Bryn-Rhydd,  and  Slwch  Camp,  Brecon. 

a  33 


Bailey  Hill  (Knighton)  to  May  Hill  (Longhope),  via  The  Warden, 
Presteign,  Golf  Course  Tump,  Holmer,  Holmer  House,  Holmer  Lane 
Tump,  Venn's  Lane,  The  Prospect  and  Tupsley  Hospital  Road,  Main 
Street  and  Church,  Fownhope,  Caplar  Camp,  How  Caple  Church, 
Old  Gore  Cross,  and  Linton  Church. 


ENDWORD. 


I  close  up  my  patchwork  pages  for  this  booklet,  and  a  tired 
brain  finds  relief  in  two  memories.  The  one  of  the  day,  just  on  half 
a  century  ago,  when,  a  lad  on  a  trader's  route  for  my  father's  brewery, 
I  pulled  up  my  horse  to  look  with  wonder  at  the  Four  Stones,  standing 
like  sentinels  in  a  field  corner.  Later  in  the  same  day,  the  steep  slope 
of  the  Radnor  Forest  surmounted,  came  the  first  view  of  Castle  Tomen 
at  the  summit  of  the  Forest  road,  with  its  background  of  Wye  and 
Irfon  Valley  (Breconshire)  Mountains.  And  the  note  of  unsatisfied 
wonder  struck  that  day  has  fingered  through  nearly  fifty  years' 
unusually  intimate  knowledge  of  our  beautiful  West  Country  border 
land,  and  I  know  now  that  my  sub-conscious  self  had  prepared  the 
ground  and  worked  at  the  problem  I  now  see  solved. 

The  second  memory  is  the  vivid  one  of  the  rush  of  revelations 
in  the  gorgeous  year  of  sunshine  just  finished.  And  I  can  scarcely 
realize  that  half  the  year  had  gone,  the  clear  smoke-free  distances  of 
early  summer  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  midsummer  day  over,  before 
I  got  the  first  clue.  Once  started,  I  found  no  halt  in  the  sequence 
of  new  facts  revealed  by  active  search  on  the  tracks. 

It  is  a  mere  framework  for  a  new  knowledge  that  I  offer,  but 
I  know  that  it  has  solid  foundations,  and  that  good  wholesome  field 
work  by  others — for  it  may  not  be  granted  to  me  to  do  very  much 
more — will  fill  in  many  gaps.     That  is  why  I  write. 

Postscript.  In  some  districts — as  Salisbury  Plain  and  the 
Yorkshire  Wolds — there  are  groups  of  adjacent  barrows  so  numerous 
that  it  is  probable  that  most  of  them  were  built  as  burial  mounds  only, 
not  sighting  mounds.     This  is  not  the  case  in  the  district  investigated. 


34 


Plate   XV.  CHURCH. 

Ledbury,    the    Spire    sighted  up    Church  Lane. 


INDEX. 


Most   of   the    Places  indexed   are    in  Herefordshire  ;    those  in   adjoining  counties  are,  if 
necessary,  indicated  by  the  initial  of  the  county  {as  R.  for  Radnor)  following  the  name- 

Arthur's  Stone        . .        6,  14,  24, 

Abdon  Burf  (S.)     . 

Aberllynfi-Gaer  (B.) 

Aconbury  Church   . 

Almeley  Batch  Twt 

Almeley  Woontou  . 

Altars 

Alt-y-ynis 

Anthony's  Cross  (G.) 

Assemblies    .  . 

Avenues  (trees) 

Avenues  of  Pines 

Aylestone  Hill 

Aymestrey    . . 

Bach  Ball  (R.) 

Backbury 

Badesley  Clinton  (Warwick.) 

Bailey  Hill  (R.) 

Baldwin  (Archbishop) 

Bal-Mawr  (B.),  Balls  Cross,  Ballgate, 

Bannister,  Rev.  A.  J. 

Baring-Gould,  Rev.  S. 

Barrow 

Barton  Court 

Bartonsham  Farm 

Bassam 

Batch 

Beachley  (G.) 

Beachwood  Mound 

Beacon  Hill 

Bellgate,  Bellimore,  Belmont 

Belloc,  Hillaire 

Belmont 

Bentley,  Rev.  S. 

Beowulf 

Bewell  Spring 

Bewley  or  Bewdley 

Bible  parallels 

Bicknor  Walks  (G.) 

Birdlip  HiU  (G.) 

Birchend  Moat 

Birley  Church 

Birley  Hill    .  . 

Bitterley  Cross  (S.) 

Bitterley  (S.) 

Bishop's  Moat  (S.) 

Black  Darren 

Black  Hill,  Olchon 


25, 

33 

Blackfriars,  Hereford 

24 

18 

Blacklains  (G.) 

33 

6 

Black  Mountains 

.     5,  17 

20 

Black  Traders  road 

23 

6 

Blackwardine 

9 

19 

Bobblestock  Hill 

19 

25 

Bolitree,  Bolstone,  Bollingham     . 

28 

27 

Bollingham 

17,  33 

33 

Bosbury,  Boston,  Bosley 

28 

10 

14 

Bosbury  Cross 

25 

5, 

20 

Boswell    (Staff.),    Bostock    (Staff.) 

> 

27 

Boscastle  (Cornwall)  .  . 

28 

24 

Borough 

27 

26 

Bowley  Bowling  Green 

19,  28 

Bowley  Town 

14 

18 

Boy  Scouting 

33 

19 

Bradley,  Bradlow 

27,  29 

16 

Bramley 

27 

34 

Brampton  Bryan 

6 

17 

Bramton 

27 

3, 

Brass  Knoll 

28 

5, 

28 

Bredwardine 

29 

27, 

30 

Breinton 

20,  33 

25 

Bren  Tor  (Devon) 

22 

10, 

27 

Bridge  Sollars          . .          . .         16 

,  20,  26 

29 

Brilley  Green 

33 

5, 

17 

Brinsop 

16 

o, 

17 

Brimpsfield  Castle  (G.) 

33 

6, 

10 

Brinklow  (Wilts.) 

25 

22 

Brinmfield 

24 

23 

Broad  Green 

29 

33 

Broad  (The)             

9,  29 

28 

Broadlands,  Broadley,  Broadward 

29 

25 

Brobury  Scar           .  .           . .       5,  6 

,  19,  33 

16, 

18 

Brockhampton  Church 

33 

25 

Bromton 

27 

31 

Bromfield 

27 

30 

Bromley  (Kent) 

27 

30 

Broom 

27,  28 

33 

Broomsgreen  (G) 

27 

12 

Broomsberrow   (G) 

27 

33 

Broomstick 

31 

33 

Broomy  Hill 

27,  31 

30 

Brown  Clee  (S.) 

18 

6 

Bryn-y-Maen  (R.) 

18 

5 

Bryn-Rhydd  (R.) 

33 

4 

18 

Bucknell  Church  (S.) 

30 

30 

Bullingham 

24 

4 

Burcot  Pool             .  .          .  .         16 

,  24,  33 

6 

Bury 

10 

35 


Burial  Mound  . .  . .        14,  20,  27 

Bur,  Burton,  Burford,  Burcot     . .  29 

Burl,  Burley,  Burlton       . .          . .  29 

Burley  Gate             28 

Bury              27 

Bush  Bank 17 

Byford  Ford            6 

Caerleon  (M.)           25 

Caerwent  (M.)          25 

Cairn              10 

Camps— 6,  9,   10,   11,  12,   15,  20,  21,  22, 

25,  33,  34 
Canterbury 
Capel-y-fin  (B.) 
Capel-y-tair-ywen  (B.) 
Caplar  Camp 
OftiFflj  clock 

Castles— 4,  6,   10,  11,  20,  21,  22,  23,  25, 

28,  31,  33 
Castle  Hill  (Glos.)  . . 
Castle  Hill  (Hereford) 
Castle  Farms 
Castle  Tumps 
Castle  Tomen 
Causeways 
Chamber  Well 
Chantry,  Perrystone 
Christian  Era 
Churchdown  (G.)     .  . 

Churches— 6,  7,  11,  12,  18,  19,  20,  21,  22, 
24,  25,  26,  28,  29,  33,  34 

Cist                27 

Clee  Hill  (S.)           4,  18 

Clifford          6 

Clyro  Church  (R.)               .  .          .  .  33 

Codrington,  Thos.                . .                15,  25 

Colchester,  Coleham,  Coleridge    . .  31 

Coldborough              27 

Cold  Harbour,  Coldridge  .  .          . .  31 

Coldman's  Hill,  Coldstone            . .  31 

Coldwell        24,  31 

Cole,  Coleman          ..          ..               24,  31 

Cole-prophet,  Cold-prophet           . .  31 

Cole-staff 31 

Coleshill,    Colestock,    Coleford     . .  31 

Colewelle,  Colmanswell      .  .          .  .  31 

Coles  Tump,  Coles  Mountain       . .  31 

Coley,  Colebury,  Colebatch           . .  31 

Colva  Church  (R.)              . .          . .  33 

Colporter       . .           .  .           .  .           . .  31 

Colva  Hill  (R.)        32 

Colwall  24,  31 

Commerce     . .          . .          .  .          .  .  10 

Concrete  in  Causeways     . .          . .  4 

Conigree  (G.)            . .          . .          . .  33 


13,  25 

5,   17,   18,  29 

6 

21,  33,  34 

30 


33 

14,  23 

22 

6 

4,  34 

4,  5,  13,   16,  24 

24 

33 

11 

22 


Constable's  Firs      . .          . .          . .  20 

Coronation  Stone    . .          . .          . .  17 

Coxall  Knoll             6 

Court  of  Noke         33 

Craft  of  the  Ley-men        . .          . .  30 

Cradley         . .    * 27 

Credenhill 5,  17,  33 

Croft  Ambury          . .          . .          9,  21,  33 

Croft  Lane   . .          . .          . .          . .  9 

Crosses           . .          . .          . .          . .  0,  17 

Cross  Ash  (M.)        19 

Cross  Colloe 19 

Cross  End  Farm 6,  33 

Cross  in  Hand         . .          . .  14,  33 

Cross  Oak  (S.)         19 

Cross  Roads             ..          ..  11,   13 

Cross  of  the  Tree 19,  28 

Cruger  Castle  (R) 4 

Cullis             15 

Cusop             12 

Cuttings        . .          . .          . .          . .  15 

D,  intrusion  of  letter        . .          . .  27 

Dancing  in  Circle   . .          . .          .  .  14 

Dartmoor      .  .           . .           . .  18,   25 

Deerfold  Forest 28 

Duchess  Walk  (S.) 20 

Dial  Carreg      (M.)              . .          . .  18 

Dial  Post  (W.)        18 

Didley           4,  14 

Dinedor  Camp         ..          ..        12,  21,  30 

Dinedor  Cross          . .          . .          . .  33 

Dinedor  Holy  Well             . .          . .  24 

Dolmen         .  .          . .          . .          . .  14 

Domestic  Camp       . .          . .          . .  20 

Doomsday  Book     .  .          .  .          . .  22 

Dorstone  Castle  Tump      . .          . .  6 

Droitwich  (W.)        22 

Druids           31 

Eardisland    .  .          .  .          . .          . .  14 

Eardisley  Park        23 

Earthworks  .  .  10,  11,  14,  15r  20,  21,  22,  23 

Eastwood  Oak         .  .          .  .  5,   19 

Easthampton           .  .          .  .          .  .  33 

Eaton  Bishop  Camp          . .          .  .  33 

Eccles  Green            .  .          .  .          . .  18 

Elsdon           33 

Enclosures                . .          . .          . .  9 

England's  Gate 28 

Ermin  Street  (G.) 33 

Exeter,  church  over  ley   .  .          . .  22 

Evolution  of  Moats            . .          4,  10,   15 

Evolution  of  Mounds        . .  4,  14 

Evolution  of  Crosses          . .  5,  11 


36 


Felin-fach  Moat  (B.) 

•          .  i 

6 

Hereford 

5, 

20, 

23, 

29 

Ferries 

12,  18, 

23 

All  Saints     . . 

. 

12, 

21, 

22 

Field  Work 

32,  33, 

34 

Barrol  Street 

24 

Fine  Street  and  Finsbury 

29 

Bishop's  Meadow  . 

23 

Flansford 

15 

Broad  Street 

. . 

22 

Flint  Age 

10 

Chapel  of  Hospitallers 

24 

Flint  Flakes 

9 

Cathedral      .  .        4, 

12, 

16, 

21, 

22 

Flint  Traders  road 

23 

Castle  Green 

21, 

23 

Folly,  The  (R.) 

18 

Castle  Hill    .  . 

17, 

23 

Folk-mote 

14 

Church  Street 

28 

Fords— 4,  S,  6,  12,  13,  15, 

17,  29!  30, 

33 

Harley  Court 

16 

Forest 

20, 

25 

The  Knoll    . . 

23 

Foss  (Glos.  and  Wilts.)     . 

25 

Offa  Street   . . 

12, 

22 

Four  Stones  (R.) 

'.         4,  18, 

34 

Overbury 

23 

Fownhope 

34 

Palace 

23 

Franchise-stone 

20 

Prospect 

34 

Froom's  Hill 

17 

St.  John  Street 

St.  Peter's    .. 

24 

22 

Gallows  Tump 

23 

Quay  Street 

24 

Gam 

10 

Venn's  Lane 

34 

Garnons 

23 

Wye  Street  .  . 

17 

Garron  River 

4 

Herefordshire  Beacon 

6, 

21 

Gate 

28 

Herrock  Hill,  Holy  Well 

24 

Gatley 

!               15, 

28 

High  Cullis 

15 

Gatsford 

28 

Hill  Barn 

33 

Gillespie,  Mrs. 

27 

Hill  Gate 

28 

Gillow 

'.                 6, 

16 

Hill-tracks 

7 

Giraldus 

4, 

17 

Hobby  Lyons 

29 

Glade            

12 

Hoggs  Mount           . .       5, 

21, 

22," 

23, 

24 

Gladestree  (R.) 

12 

Holme  Lacy  House 

33 

Glascwm  Hill  (R.) 

6 

Holmer          .  .       5,  6,  16, 

19, 

24,' 

33, 

34 

Gloucester 

33 

Holmer  Tumps 

5, 

23, 

24, 

34 

Golden  Cross 

27 

Horn  Green  Cross 

30 

Golden  Well 

24 

Homesteads              . .       4, 

11, 

22, 

26, 

27 

Gold  Hill 

27 

Holy  Wells 

6, 

24 

Gold  Post 

!          ".".  24 

27 

Hope -under-Dinmore 

18 

Gold  Traders  road 

. .  24, 

27 

Houghton  Mound   . . 

4 

Golden  Valley 

27 

How  Caple  Church 

34 

Goodrich 

24 

Hunderton 

17 

Gospel  Oaks 

11, 

19 

Hungerstone 

14, 

15 

Great  Oak 

19 

Hungerford  (Mid.) 

15 

Green  Crise 

20 

Grosmont  (M.) 

17 

Implements  for  mapping 

32 

Grove 

19 

Ingestone 

. 

5, 

13 

Gwaun  ceste  Hill  (R.) 

33 

Iron 

Irion  Valley  (B.) 

16 

23 
34 

Hampstead  Heath  (Mid.) 

20 

Island  on  moat 

15, 

16 

Hargest  Ridge 

16 

Ivington  Bury 

27 

Harrow  (Mid.) 

22 

Harpton  Court  (R.) 

20 

Jack,  G.  H. 

. 

26 

Hatterill  Hill 

25 

Hay  Tump 

6 

Kenchester 

18, 

19, 

26 

Haywood  Forest     . . 

23 

Kender  church 

22 

Hell  Moat,  Sarnesfield 

6 

Kiln  Ground  Wood 

23 

Hentland  Cross 

17 

King's  Acre  Elm 

19 

Henwick       . .         . .         , 

23 

Kingsland  Church 

26 

37 


Kington  Church      . .          . .  . .         22 

Kistvaena     . .          . .          . .  . .         25 

Knap             10,  23 

Knoll             10,  23 

Lady  Harbour         . .          . .  . .          28 

Ladylift — court,  grove,  meadow  .  .  19,  28 

Laidmans  Low        . .          . .  . .          31 

Laity,  laymen         . .          .  .  . .          31 

Lakes             16,  32 

Lane              . .          . .          . .  . .          12 

Lay  see  Ley 
Layamon 
Laynes  Farm  (G.) 
Laysters  Pole 


Ledbury 
Lee  Line 
Leintwardine 
Leinthall 
Lemore 
Letton  Lakes 
Leys 

Leycester 
Ley  Farms 
Leys  Hill  (G.) 
Ley  hunting — 
Ley-men 
Leys,  route  of- 


31 

13 

19 

6,   16,  22,  27,  29 

29 

26,  30 
29 

4 

16 

to  34 

31 

12 

27,  30 
9,   11,   30,   31,   32,   33 

10,  12,  14,  15,  30,  31,  33 

6,  10,  11,  12,  13,  20,  22, 

23,  24,  25,  26,  29,  30,  33,  34 

28 

29,  34 


Lidyatt 

Linton 

Linley 

Lion  Farm 

Litley  .  .  . .  17,  20 

Little  Hereford 

Little  Mountain  (R.) 

(Westbrook) 

Llanelieu  Church  (B.) 

Llanigon  (B.) 

Llanigon  Mound  (B.) 

Llansaintfraed-in-Elvel  (B.) 

Llanthony  (Mon.) 

Llanthony  (Glos.) 

Llanvihangel  Court  (M.) 

Llanvihangel  Crucorney  (M.) 

Llanvihangel-nant-Melan  (M.) 

Llowes  Church  (R.) 

Longtown     ..  4,  5,   13,   15, 

Longford 

Longworth 

Low  . .  . .  . .        10, 

Lucton  Church 

Ludgate  Hill,  London 

Ludlow  (S.) 

Lugg  Bridge 

Lyde  Cross  Tree     . . 

Lyepole 

38 


29 

29 

24,  29 

29 

6 

33 

6 

5 

6 

18 

5 

33 

20 

4,  15 

18 

33 

25 

30 

20 

27,  31 

26 

22 

27 

26 

19 

19 


20, 


Lyonshall,  Lynhales 


29 


Mackay,  J.  C. 

m , 

18 

Madley 

5, 

17, 

22 

Maescoch 

6 

Mainstone  Court 

12 

Malvern  Priory  Church     . . 

6, 

33 

Malvern  Hills          . .       6,   12, 

15, 

23, 

24 

Magna 

18 

Magician 

31 

Marden  Church 

. 

24 

Marstow 

4, 

15 

Mark  Stones— 5,  10,  16,  17,  IS 

,  21 

,  23 

24 

Mathon  Church 

33 

May  Hill  (G.) 

34 

Maypole 

19 

Meer  Oak  (S.) 

. 

30 

Menhirs 

5, 

17 

Merbach 

. 

6 

Merry  Hill 

14, 

23 

Michaelchurch  Escley 

6, 

33 

Milton 

33 

Moats— 4,  6,  7,  10,  11,  14,  15 

16 

24, 

33 

Moccas 

6, 

22, 

33 

Monnington  Walks 

5,  6 

,  19; 

33 

Monnington  Church 

6, 

33 

Monnow 

4, 

13 

Moreton-on-Lugg 

19 

Mote  and  Moat 

33 

Mortimer's  Cross 

26 

Mouse  Castle,  Hay 

6 

Mouse  Castle,  Hereford     .  . 

23 

Mounds— 4,  6,  7,   10,   11,   12, 

14, 

19, 

20, 

21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26, 

27, 

28, 

29, 

30,   31,   32,   33,   34 

Mound — evolution  of 

14 

Mound  (various  names  for) 

10 

Mountain  Tracks 

5 

12 

Mynydd-Brith  Tump 

6 

Mynydd  Ferddin  Hill    (B.) 

23 

Mullhampton 

33 

Neolithic  Age 

10, 

13 

Newchurch  Hill  (R.) 

23 

New  End 

29 

New  Radnor  Castle  (R.) 

20 

North  Hill    Malvern 

33 

Notches — sighting 

4, 

15 

Nupend 

29 

Oaks 

6, 

11, 

19 

Oakley  Park  (S.) 

20 

Olchon           . .          .  .               5, 

12, 

13, 

28 

Oldcastle 

12, 

25 

Old  Gore  Cross 

34 

Old  Radnor  Church 

. 

20 

> 


Plate  XVII1 


HOUSE    IN   MOAT. 
Gil  low. 


One  Tree  Hill 

5, 

19 

Rosemary  Topping  (G.) 

29 

Ordnance  Maps 

11, 

32 

Ross 

19 

Over  Ross 

19 

Rudford  Church  (G.) 
Rushwick  (W.) 

33 
23 

Pains  Castle  Mound       (R.) 

6 

Palmer's  Court 

6 

Salt                

22 

Palace  Ford,  Hereford 

30 

Symonds  Yat 

28 

Parks 

20 

Saltways 

9,  22,  23 

Park  Hall  (S.) 

4 

Saltmarshe  Castle 

23 

Parallel  Roads 

12 

Sarnesfield  Moat 

6 

Partricio  (M.) 

17 

Scotch  (or  Scota)  Fir 

5,  19,  20 

Parton  Cross 

33 

Scots  Hole 

23 

Paytoe 

26 

Shrewsbury 

22 

Pedlar's  Cross 

.'.'     8, 

17 

ShuckneU  Hill 

6,  33 

Pen-y-Beacon           . .                 4, 

6,  24, 

33 

Shelwick 

14 

Perry  Hill 

33 

Sighting  Columns 

21 

Perrystone 

33 

Sighting  Cuttings    .  . 

4,  15 

Philology 

26 

Sighting  Methods 

9  to  34 

Picts  Cross 

30 

Sights,  rifle 

9 

Pilgrim's  Way,  Kent 

"  13, 

25 

Sighting  Stones       . .  4,  5,  6 

,  11,  17,  18,  21 

Pilgrim's  Staff 

28 

Silbury  (Wilts.) 

25 

Pine  (Scotch  or  Scots) 

20 

Silver  Tump 

28 

Piper,  G.  H. 

25 

Sites  and  Sighting — 11,  14 

16,  21,  22,  24 

Pipe  and  Lyde  Church 

33 

Skirrid  (M.) 

4,  25 

Ponds            ..  4,  5,  10,  11,  13, 

14,  16, 

32 

Slwch  Camp  (B.)    .  . 

33 

Portcullis 

15 

Snodhill  Castle 

25 

Pottery,  Ancient 

5,  6, 

23 

Soothsayers 

31 

Precipice  Walk 

12 

Speech  House  (G.).. 

30 

Preston-on-Wye  Church 

6 

St.  Ann's  Well  (W.) 

6,  24,  33 

Preston  Wynne 

"  15, 

29 

St.  Clement  Danes,  Londo 

a         ..          22 

Primary  Peaks 

10 

St.  Ethelbert 

24 

Priory  Wood,  Clifford 

6 

St.  Guthlac  Church 

24 

Putson  Ford 

20 

St.  Ishaw's  Well  (M.) 
St.  Martin's  in  the  Fields 

17 
22 

Queen's  Stone 

17 

St.  Mary  le  Strand 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral 

22 
22 

Radnor  Forest 

4, 

34 

St.  Pewtress  Well  . . 

24 

Rhiw  Wen    .  . 

17 

St.  Tecla's  Chapel  (G.)      . 

22 

Rhiw 

5 

St.  Michael's  Mount 

22 

Rhos-goch  Castle  Tump  (R.) 

6 

Stanbatch,  Stanbury 

28 

Redborough  (R.)     .. 

23 

Stanton,  Stanley,  Stanwell 

28 

Red  Gates 

23 

Stock             

14,  19 

Red  Hill 

33 

Stoke  Prior 

18 

Red  House 

23 

Storridge 

23 

Red  Ley 

"  12, 

23 

Stone  Rows 

25 

Red  Lion 

5, 

17 

Street  Court 

30 

Red  Pottery 

5,  6, 

16 

Stretford  Church     . . 

30 

Red  Traders  road 

5,  6, 

23 

Stretton  Grandison 

9,  33 

Red  Wych  End 

29 

Suffix             

27 

Redley 

12 

Sugwas  Park 

33 

Ridge-ways 

7 

Surveyors,  early 

14 

Risbury  Camp 

9 

Surveyors,  ley-men 

30 

Roman  Stations 

9,  18, 

26 

Surveyors,  Roman 

15.  21 

Roman  Surveyors  . .    15,    18, 

20,   21. 

26 

Sutton  Lakes 

16 

Roman  Roads         . .    9,  10,  13 

16,25 

,26 

Sutton  Walls 

6,   18,  20 

Roofing  Tile-stones 

5 

39 


Talgarth  Church  (B.) 

6 

Water  Gate  (Inigo  Jones') 

. . 

15 

Tan  House 

13 

Wat.ling  Street,  London     . . 

22 

Tarrington 

5 

Webtree 

28 

Tenbury  (W.) 

24 

Webton         

28 

Ten  Houses 

4 

Wellington 

19 

Terminal  Hills 

10,   11, 

21 

Wells— 6,   10,   11,   24,   25,  28, 

30,'  31, 

33 

Three  Elms 

19, 

24 

Weobley 

6,  22 

24 

Three  Gates 

28 

Weobley,  Ash  and  Cross  . . 

28 

Thruxton 

15 

Wergin's  Stone 

5,   17, 

18 

Timber  Line  Wood 

29 

Wheelbarrow  Castle 

27 

Tibberton  Court  (G.) 

33 

Whitcliffe 

23 

Tin  Hill 

23 

Whitfield 

23 

Tin  Traders  road    . . 

23 

Whitney,  pottery  at 

5,  6, 

23 

Tinkers  Hill  and  Cross 

(W.) 

23 

Whitman's  Wood 

23 

Titterstone  Clee  Hill  (S.) 

4 

Whitwick  Manor 

22 

Tomen 

4, 

10 

Whitecastle  (M.) 

23 

Totnor,  Tothill,  Toot 

29 

White  Cross 

23 

Totmans  Low  (Derby) 

31 

White  House 

22 

Totteridge,  Tottenham 

29 

White  Rocks 

23 

Traders'  roads — 9,     10, 

17, 

22,    23, 

24, 

White  Stone 

17,"  22, 

33 

27,  28, 

29 

White  Traders'  road 

23 

Trees 

5,   10, 

12,   19, 

20 

Whiteway  Head 

23 

Tre-fedw  Mound  (M.) 

4, 

14 

Whitewell  House 

23 

Xrewyn  Home  (M.) 

20, 

27 

Whetstone 

16 

Trewyn  Camp  (M.) 

4, 

15 

Wick  (W.) 

22 

Triangular  Woods  . . 

12 

Widemarsh 

24 

Tumps— 6,  10,  12,  14, 

15,  20, 

21,'  22, 

23, 

Wigmore 

6,  22, 

26 

25,  27, 

31,  33, 

34 

Wilton  Castle 

19 

Tumpa  (B.) 

6 

Winchester 

25 

Tumpy  Lakes 

16 

Wind's  Point 

6 

Tumpey  Ley 

12 

Winforton 

19 

Tumulus 

10 

Winslow,  Winsley,  Winyard 

29 

Tupsley 

34 

Witcombe  Park  (G.) 

33 

Turnaston     .  . 

17 

Witches 

31 

Turrett  Tump 

6 

Withington 

15 

Twt,  Tooting 

10, 

29 

Withington  Lakes 

Wood,  Jas.  G 

.'.'  25, 

16 

29 

Upperton 

18 

Woodyatts  Cross 

28 

Upton  (Bishop)  Court 

33 

Woolhope  Church 

23 

Urishay  Castle 

25 

Wormelow  Tump 
Worsell 

27 
12 

Vowchurch  Cross 

5, 

17 

Wyaston  Leys 
Wych 

14,  23, 

12 

29 

Walmer  Street 

24 

Wye               

26, 

34 

Walmsley 

.  . 

24 

Wye  Street 

5 

Walm's  Well 

24 

Walford  Church 

30 

YarkhiU        

16 

Walton  (R.) 

18 

Y-Fan-Drongarth    (B.) 

33 

Walsopthorne 

6 

Yarpole 

19 

Warden  The  (R.) 

34 

Yat                

28 

Warslow 

27 

Yatton 

..  28, 

33 

Warwick,  Chapel  o 

ver 

ley 

22 

40 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

Six  of  the  photographs  are  by  Mr.  W.  M.  McKaig,  helper  in 
many  miles  of  ley-hunting. 

This  page  is  King  8vo.  in  the  Ideal  series  of  paper  sizes,  wherein 
octavo  and  quarto  have  the  same  proportion,  and  three  master  sizes 
give  a  full  series  of  uniform  shape. 

The  letterpress  printed  by  the  "  Hereford  Times,"  Ltd.,  of 
Hereford. 

The  half-tone  blocks  by  Messrs.  Emery  Walker,  Ltd.,  London, 
except  six  kindly  lent  by  the  Woolhope  Club. 

The  illustrations  and  maps  printed  by  Messrs.  Ebenezer  Baylis, 
Worcester. 

The  two-colour  title  by  Mr.  W.  E.  Henner,  Hereford. 


INSTRUMENTS     FOR     LEY-MAPPING. 

Moveable  head  T  squares  with  divided  quadrant,  also  other  special 
appliances  supplied  if  a  demand  arises. 

OTHER     PUBLICATIONS. 

THE   WATKINS   MANUAL  of  Photographic  Exposure  and  Development. 
9th  Edition   (about  80,000  sold). 

"  The  only  Manual  I  have  read  which  seems  to  me  absolutely  simple 
and  direct." — Westminster  Gazette.     (Post  3d.)      Is.  3d. 


MUST  WE  TRADE  IN  TENTHS,  being  a  plea  against  Decimal  and 
for  Octaval  Coinage  as  more  exactly  fitting  the  wants  and  usage  of 
all  who  make,  grow,  buy  or  sell  things. 

"  A   powerful  plea." — Financier  and  Bullionist.        (Post   Id.)        3d. 


TWO     LEAFLETS     FREE     FOR     POSTAGE. 

OCTAVAL    NOTATION    AND    THE    MEASUREMENT    OF    BINARY 
INCH   FRACTIONS. 

IDEAL    PROPORTIONS    AND    SIZES    FOR    PRINTING    PAPERS. 


We  were  established  in  1900  for  the  manufacture  of  Mr.  Watkins's 
Exposure  Meters  and  Development  Aids  in  Photography.  Also  Dough 
Meters  for  household  and  trade  bakers,  and  steel  Octaval  Rules. 

Ask  for  Lists. 

WATKINS'    METER   CO.,   HEREFORD.  Advt. 


41